MY VIEW

Re: "Coleman says marijuana grow ops the cash flow for organized crime," March 20.

Sixty members of the community listened to politicians and police talk about what is being done to stop the proliferation of grow ops in the Lower Mainland.  Sigh ...

First of all, I hardly think that 60 people at a forum is a good enough sample of the community to base any sort of criticism on any subject pertaining to the major population that does not attend these events.

My beef isn't with the people who attended, though.  They obviously care deeply enough about their families that they want their voices heard.  The subject affects them in their homes and neighborhoods.  They should be concerned.

My beef is with the politicians, namely Rich Coleman and Mayor Jon Kingsbury because of their comments.  I also have a tough time swallowing what the police have to say on the matter.

With election time coming up soon, politicians wouldn't want to spark too much controversy over their current efforts on the subject.  It's best to step aside quickly and let the police handle the situation.

Who's in charge here anyway? I hope it's not the police.  This isn't a police state yet.  I hope it's "the people" in charge and the courts who care for their best interests.

I gather from what I read in the article that the police have a keen interest in acquiring new little toys to combat what they say is the evil of marijuana.  Kingsbury seems to be their buddy, fueling them along.  I guess those casino funds from addicted gamblers come in handy when supplying the police with their toys.

Secondly, I wanted to touch upon the main problem, which is the way many in this community feel about the issue of cannabis and its legalization.  I appreciated that reporter Ron Devitt managed to attach a short ditty at the end of the article stating the other side of the argument.  Sigh again.  I would have liked to hear more of what Roderick Louis had to say.

MLA Richard Stewart was noticeably upset with Louis's call for decriminalization because it contradicts what he wants to see happen with the issue.  Louis said, "It's time there was some constructive talk about the decriminalization of cannabis and putting it on the same level as alcohol in this society." I couldn't agree with him more.  We need to hear from everyone on this issue, not just a handful of opportunists and self-proclaimed do-gooders.

The issue as I see it isn't a hard one to grasp.  There is a very widespread use of marijuana in this province, this country and worldwide.  A large portion of this world's society also uses alcohol.  It's funny to think that alcohol is legal and marijuana is not, that you can die from consuming too much of the aforementioned and not the latter.

Yet, it's legal to consume alcohol because the government says it's okay.  I find their reasoning a bit confusing.

The decriminalization of marijuana would lead to a more controlled environment for growing it.  It could then be monitored by safety regulations.  It would take a large bite out of organized crime making large profits to fund themselves.  It would also take a huge burden off of our court systems.  The police could actually use their time more effectively to focus on bigger issues that concern the public, such as violent crimes.

They are wrong when they try to lump marijuana in with crack cocaine and there needs to be more discussion all the way around the issue.  I say this because almost one in four people I meet smokes marijuana, medicinally or for pleasure.  Medicinally, to help ease the symptoms of an illness.  Pleasure, to relieve the stresses of the day or to socialize - the same way alcohol is consumed.  I have met individuals from all walks of life who consume it.  This is why there are so many grow ops.  There is a demand for it.

I look forward to seeing a national referendum on the issue.  We may then put this issue into better perspective for the population.

- - Pamela Sharif is a Port Moody resident and mother of two.