Dear Editor,
Re: “This Bud’s for you?” Feature, Oct. 20.
Bravo to Mayor Brodie and members of council for challenging the Prime Minister’s marijuana policy. The PM continues to demonstrate a reckless disregard for the health and welfare of Canadians by pushing for legal access to a mind-altering drug without concern for known effects on brain development in youth, impaired work place safety, and impaired operation of vehicle risks, etc.
Surely, a respectful PM would not expose anyone to such risks, particularly considering Canada has not demonstrated effective enforcement capability, despite high costs.
Pot must be regulated and access should be controlled by significant financial consequences to violators, not taxpayers.
The media has reported that the federal government will spend $546 million over five years for the “legal framework to strictly regulate and restrict access to cannabis” and $150 million (all taxpayer sourced) over six years for enforcing drug-impaired driving.
This is money borrowed from children, the disabled, and persons living on fixed income in Canada. Perhaps, this explains why the PM is incapable of balancing a budget.
Remember how ineffective the federal government has been regulating contraband tobacco, marijuana, fentanyl and all other recreational drugs in our midst. How much money will provincial and municipal governments have to redirect to this industry from hospitals and schools, now and in the future?
Shame on federal representatives for failing to recognize these known community hazards and outrageous costs to taxpayers.
Ken McLennan
Richmond
