To the editor,

We are so very fortunate to be able to live in such an amazing town and I have been happy to call this valley my home. We have lived with a minimal amount of crime which has always made it feel like such a safe place to live, work, play and raise our families.

The primary motivation for allowing a cannabis dispensary in our town is because of the taxes that will benefit the village of McBride. But, what will be the impact on the residents of McBride?

Cannabis is a mind altering drug and has been proven to increase domestic violence and crime and also rates of disease. A cannabis dispensary in McBride will attract the wrong type of people to our little town and will result in many more new users because of the ready availability. Not to mention the increase in school aged children becoming users as well which negatively affects their school attendance, concentration, memory, brain development and thus academic achievement. Marijuana is the gateway to using stronger and even more dangerous drugs. Take a drive in downtown Prince George sometime and notice all the high, strung out homeless population that has increased dramatically in a short time. And ask yourself why. One of the reasons is the pot shops that seem to be on every corner now.

Look around and notice how quickly crime is increasing in our world. With the legalization of drugs and the ready access to cannabis dispensaries, the rise in crime is out the roof. We have never lived in such an unsafe world. McBride will be no exception if we provide ready access to drugs that destroy people’s minds and bodies and hurt those around them. Allowing a cannabis dispensary is the first step. Then what…..a safe injection site?

Our country is becoming high on left wing, liberal, woke agenda ideology and it is destroying our society.

We need to stop this now. Let the McBride mayor and council know that you will not support a cannabis dispensary in our town.

V. Alvera