Pubdate: Thu, 19 Oct 2000
Source: Evening Courier (UK)
Copyright: 2000 The Halifax Courier Ltd.
Contact:  Mailbag, PO Box 19, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX1 2SF, England
Fax: +44-(0)1422-260341
Website: http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/
Author: Derek Williams
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1540/a07.html

TIME FOR ACTION AFTER FAILED WAR ON DRUG

I STARTED reading the article headlined "Going up in smoke" (Evening 
Courier", October 11th) with some interest, given the fact that cannabis 
legislation is now a major issue, but oh, what a pathietic item it turned 
out to be.

If William Marshall, the author, was trying to be funny, sorry but by 
playing on the myth of the amotivated pot-head, he simply ended up writing 
line after line of stupid drivel.

Look around you; we have a major problem caused by the drug laws and 
something needs to be done.  We've had nearly 30 years of a war against 
drugs, a policy which has tried to address a social issue by treating the 
people at risk as criminals.  If nothing else the events of the last week 
or so have shown that we've had enough.

Please treat this issue in a serious, informed way in future.

Derek Williams, Pembroke Road, Norwich
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D