Letter to the Editor - Thursday September 12, 2013

Tax trumps harm

Back in the 1970s the head of the Uniting Church said at their annual conference that the only reason that cannabis was illegal was because the government had not found a way to tax it.

We have been told by successive governments how bad it is for us.

In another life I was a musician for some 50 years, and observed first-hand the effects of cannabis. In general it made the user happy and laid back. Only when mixed with alcohol did some users become anti-social.

Let me make it clear that I am not an advocate for cannabis. Quite frankly I see no need for any drug to assist us to get through life. We should just be overjoyed that we are here.

Anyway, now we have 'legal highs', which are so much worse than the dreaded pot, but are taxable. So are the politicians really concerned about the well-being of the people?

If we are going to have legal highs, why not set up a company or companies to purchase cannabis from licensed growers at the going rate on the black market, and sell the product around the world where smoking cannabis is legal? Then only the unlicensed growers would face prosecution, thus freeing up police manpower.

New Zealand Green could certainly boost the economy of the Far North.

Get rid of the poison that is being sold now.

LES STILL

Cooper's Beach