THE EDITOR:
Re: 'Medicinal marijuana has many challenges' (Our View, Daily News, Jan. 29).
You are quite right in stating that medical marijuana has many
challenges. Unfortunately, the major one will be overcoming the lies
and propaganda perpetuated by the drug war.
Your statement that the "idea that recreational drug use is in any way
socially acceptable has to be fought" made me wonder where you have
lived all of your life. Alcohol is a drug that is used recreationally
by millions of Canadians every year. Our governments make millions of
dollars off it and you advertise and promote it in your newspaper.
While it is also true that some Canadians are irresponsible with
alcohol, most are not. The same can be said for marijuana users.
The report of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs was a joy
to read. The nine senators stated very plainly that the war on
marijuana was a failure. Canadian citizens have been harmed far more
from marijuana prohibition than from the plant itself. The Senate
committee recommended outright legalization with people being able to
grow a reasonable number of plants for personal use. While they
realized that it was a bold step, they believed that Canadians had the
intelligence and maturity to welcome such a debate. Unfortunately, the
Senate committee grossly over-estimated the intelligence of our
government in Ottawa.
The only reason marijuana is still illegal today is because too many
people make too much money from the drug war. It is perverse to think
of how much money is wasted in the United States on the drug war,
which is partially funded by a beer company. I'm sure you cannot help
but notice the hypocrisy. The cops, the crooks, and the workers in the
court and prison system all have guaranteed employment. Now the
government wants to build more jails to lock up people who grow even
one plant. It is not hard to see whose buddies will benefit from that
decision. With all of the corruption because of the illegality of
drugs, it is hard most days to tell who the crooks are.
Growing pot poses no security threat at all, but marijuana
prohibition, and the violence that has resulted from it, certainly
does. I find it almost humourous that the public gets so concerned
about children found in homes with grow-ops, that when installed
properly would not pose a threat, but we ignore children living in
mouldy basements or worse due to poverty.
Where is that intelligence and maturity that the Senate committee was
so sure Canadians had?
Lynne Williams
Nanaimo
Source:National Post
