It is very discouraging to read MP James Lunney’s starkly personal view on the regulation and legalization of marijuana (The News, Dec. 6).
What a travesty. Millions, if not billions of tax dollars spent on police, judicial system and jails for the sole purpose of putting non violent people in jail. What a waste of taxpayer money and what a windfall for the large criminal syndicates earning billions of dollars from the illegal sales of marijuana.
Lunney displays in spades what many believe, that our elected officials are prepared to put their personal and political views and the wellbeing of themselves ahead of the common good.
What good? How about the potential millions and billions of dollars saved in policing and judicial system costs … a judicial system that regularly sees serious violent criminal offenders set free without trial because of a court system that can’t handle the current pending trials load.
Getting off because of delays in going to trial is an everyday occurrence and I suspect a major strategy for the legal profession. And now, with tougher rules pending on marijuana possession, we‘re going to have even more people jamming up our court system? Unbelievable.
The Conservative government’s plan to toughen sentences for marijuana possession and distribution and the consequential building of new jails to handle additional inmates is the same trap the USA is mired in and unable to get out of. Another big hit on the tax payer.
Think of the good that could be done with the millions of saved dollars and the potential billions of dollars earned by a government-controlled and regulated marijuana industry.
These are the monies that could better our health care, our education system and help those less fortunate. Gambling, alcohol and smoking are all highly regulated by government and a source of important taxes dollars. Marijuana should be added to the list.
Gordon Browne
Qualicum Beach
