Pubdate: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2001 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: John Gordon Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n926/a03.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) A 'PHATTY' HURTS NO ONE To the editor: Re: "Hypnotist helps potheads to butt out," by David Carrigg, May 20. It's no wonder that only 40 people showed up for the Winnipeg gig of anti-pot campaigner and hypnotist M. Vance Romane, who's rolling into "Rivercity" this month to use massive hypnotic suggestions to get people to accept his bogus "raft of medical evidence" highlighting the dangers of pot consumption. Cannabis is less "addictive" than caffeine and not physically addictive at all. Ask people who know real addictions like coke, heroin, meth and alcohol, and they'll tell you marijuana provides solace and keeps them off the hard stuff. The only "gateway" occurs when prohibition does not distinguish between drugs and there is no safe place for people to acquire and enjoy their intelligent preference. The real harm is the legal and social fallout. About half of all drug arrests in Canada are for simple possession of small amounts of marijuana: about 31, 299 convictions in 1995 alone. Many lead to jail terms or fines and all result in that indelible social tattoo: a criminal record forcing higher aspirations to go up in a puff of smoke. This song and dance man's interpretation of B.C. Marijuana Party policy-"They want to OK prostitution, get rid of the DARE drugs program and have free use of guns," is a gross oversimplification. Lying to young people about the "dangers" of marijuana is counter-productive, as has been shown by the failed DARE program in our schools. I consider M. Vance Romane nothing more than a bigot and am surprised you gave him space. If I could afford the cost of his show-"about the same as half an ounce of pot"-I would go and smoke a big phatty of Marc Emery's best and listen to the trippy music. John Gordon , B.C. Marijuana Party, Vancouver - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager