Pubdate: Fri, 16 Mar 2001
Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: Allied Press Limited, 2001
Contact:  http://www2.odt.co.nz
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/925
Author: Duncan Eddy

CANNABIS

THE RECENT letter from rabid cannabis law reform opponent Dr Ivan Harper 
(23.2.01) was very entertaining. He claims, "The real purpose of the world 
wide campaign to achieve voluntary mass medication with cannabis has not 
been revealed by the United Nations originators". Dr Harper's claims are 
seriously out of touch. He also refers to gang-funded, pro-cannabis 
druggies pushing drugs and propaganda on poor innocent university students. 
In my experience, the vast majority of my peers at university don't need to 
be convinced that the cannabis laws are wrong. Many of them see legislative 
change as inevitable.

I would like Dr Harper to know that cannabis is my drug of choice, and I 
have recently completed my degree. The fact is that lots of university 
students smoke pot and it's no big deal. Many of our current MPs have also 
admitted to smoking pot. Cannabis prohibition leads otherwise law-abiding 
citizens to run the risk of arrest and criminal conviction. No far-fetched 
conspiracy theory is going to convince me that this is a good thing.

Duncan Eddy

Dunedin