Letters to Canadian Editors Needed Now! PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE DrugSense FOCUS Alert #254 Mon, 9 September, 2002 Now that the Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs in a 600 page report has strongly recommended legalizing cannabis, the editorial and opinion writers of Canadian newspapers are having a field day. Below we have provided contact information and links to these opinions. Please review these items and write Letters to the Editor to as many of these newspapers as possible. We are not going to provide a sample letter because (1) what folks who live in Canada would write is likely to be different than folks from outside Canada (2) each item deserves consideration and writing on it's merits. Of course those that support legalization have earned praise for their bold position. Many recommend only decriminalization, a 10% solution that leaves the large majority of harm caused by the laws in place. Some appear to have rushed to judgement without even reading the report. Otherwise why would they throw out red herrings that are clearly and well answered in the report? You can read the actual report - and we suggest reading at least the summary for letter ideas - on line at http://www.parl.gc.ca/illegal-drugs.asp - click on reports. There is also a very good set of info, links, etc. at http://cannabislink.ca/gov/senatesumm.htm An analysis by Canadian Matt Elrod is at http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2002/ds02.n266.html#sec5 and another from the states is at http://www.drcnet.org/wol/253.html#canadiansenate Thanks for your effort and support. It's not what others do it's what YOU do PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter, email messages, etc.) Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent letter list () if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to if you are not subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit. This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging our impact and effectiveness. Subscribing to the Sent LTE list () will help you to review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing efforts. To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form CONTACT INFO Below we have tried to fit each of the editorials and opinion items into one of three groups. Some are clear fits. For others it is a hard call - so you may well believe we have made a wrong choice. Some of the authors appear to be good at not being very clear where they stand. This just adds our recommendation that Letter writers look at each item and write based on what the item says. OPINION ITEMS THAT SUPPORT THE SENATE COMMITTEE REPORT: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Editorial: Legalizing Marijuana Is the Logical and Proper Thing to Do http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/2B6CAA5F-36C5-4302-A70F-004E5133B873 Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB) Editorial: Legalize Cannabis http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1668/a08.html StarPhoenix, The (CN SN) Editorial: Senate Pot Ideas Worth Adopting http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/F5EA6AC2-1F62-4B5E-91BE-C65CFCCDEA60 Daily News, The (CN NS) Editorial: Senate Surprises Us On Legal Pot http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/CCE506B7-7749-420A-85C8-BA1A434BEA9F Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) OPED: Legalization Can No Longer Be Snickered Away http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/F4B2505D-AC84-45BE-8D34-D680C570FEA9 Globe and Mail (Canada) OPED: Taking The High Road http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1654/a11.html Sentinel Review (CN ON) Editorial: It's Time To Legalize Pot http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1663/a04.html North Bay Nugget (CN ON) Editorial: Senate Goes the Extra Mile http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1676/a07.html Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Column: Smoke Gets In Scott's Eyes http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1678/a10.html Calgary Sun, The (CN AB) Column: Unenforced Marijuana Laws Breed Only Contempt for Legal System http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1693/a01.html ITEMS THAT ONLY SUPPORT DECRIMINALIZATION: Globe and Mail (Canada) Editorial: Don't Legalize Pot, Decriminalize It http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1681/a12.html Ottawa Sun (CN ON) Editorial: Going To Pot http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1662/a06.html Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Editorial: Let's Decriminalize Marijuana As an Interim Step to Saner Law http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/A7FF38FE-C103-42D8-8B8C-A1116AA09E27 National Post (Canada) Editorial: Smoking Marijuana Shouldn't Be A Crime http://www.nationalpost.com/commentary/story.html?id={5C830FDB-2544-4824-8894-B237EA9FE933} Toronto Star (CN ON) Editorial: Senate Report Goes Up In Smoke http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1674/a08.html Toronto Sun (CN ON) Editorial: Taking It One Toke At A Time http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1696/a07.html Calgary Sun, The (CN AB) Editorial: Pipe Dream http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1655/a02.html Montreal Gazette (CN QU) Editorial: Don't Legalize It http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/AFBD7F8E-584F-498A-847B-6F54A8B9B367 Halifax Herald (CN NS) Editorial: No Pot Of Gold http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1666/a01.html Edmonton Journal (CN AB) Editorial: Go Slow On Marijuana Change http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/8F561FD6-3EC5-4D10-B15F-D45B8434BC54 Kitchener-Waterloo Record (CN ON) Editorial: The Senate's Fine Smoke Signals http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1675/a04.html Province, The (CN BC) Editorial: It's Time to Light a Fire Under Marijuana Use http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/E0B85BBB-8BC7-49C2-9B54-C2358FF9EDF5 Winnipeg Sun (CN MB) Editorial: Smoke Clouds Reason http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1662/a07.html Calgary Herald (CN AB) OPED: Senate One Toke Over The Line On Legalizing Pot http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/DFEF7CA2-00F8-4A83-BDED-AA0F0E3E2B99 Lethbridge Herald (CN AB) Editorial: Legalized Pot Not a Solution http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1675/a06.html Expositor, The (CN ON) Editorial: Marijuana Madness http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1677/a01.html Guelph Mercury (CN ON) Editorial: Marijuana Debate Calls For Caution http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1680/a04.html ONES THAT APPEAR TO SUPPORT THE CURRENT LAWS: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Editorial: Dopey Idea http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/481E9EED-06D5-4BBD-8DE0-F3E3FE777D80 Alliston Herald (CN ON) CN ON: Editorial: Pot Luck http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1680/a09.html Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Editorial: Legalization Not The Answer http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/DDBE98AA-355F-4E1E-8EA7-366F47E42E86 Lindsay Daily Post (CN ON) Editorial: Not the time to legalize marijuana http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1687/a06.html Additional opinion items on this topic MAP posted in the days ahead should be easy to spot here http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm and general news items about cannabis in Canada here http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm EXTRA CREDIT Thank the Senate committee for their fine report by sending a note to ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See: Writer's Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/ Prepared by: Richard Lake http://www.mapinc.org/rlake/ Focus Alert Specialist

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