Whereas I applaud Cpl. Scott Hilderley’s community concern for our younger citizens, I feel that he has somehow missed the mark. Of course we do not want our children or grand-children using marijuana, anymore than we would like to see them using alcohol or tobacco.
I understand that his point has to do with making healthy choices, but my point is, that these latter two products are legal, and where we, as a society, have decided that one must be of a certain age to purchase them, they are still offered for sale. Under discussion therefore, is not whether marijuana has benefits or not, but that this substance is illegal under the criminal code.
If organized crime offers a product for sale that some people would crawl through a sewer to get their hands on, and pay any price for, whether it be liquor or cannabis, the problem has become societal, not a matter of criminality.
Prohibition does not work, as has been exemplified during the 1930’s. My feeling on the matter is that one should be able to patronize one’s neighbourhood Liquor and cannabis distribution branch and be able to purchase a nice bottle of (BC) Chardonnay, and a container of BC Bud (buy local), for personal use, without it being an unlawful offence. As has been pointed out numerous times, the product would be out of the hands of the criminal element, could be taxed accordingly, and like liquor and tobacco, one would have to be of a certain age to purchase it.
I do not pretend to have the definitive solution on this matter, but my thanks to Cpl. Hilderley and the Sooke News Mirror for providing a forum for the discussion of this subject.
Jan Nielsen
Sooke