Pubdate: Wed, 04 Apr 2001
Source: Duncan News Leader (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Duncan News Leader
Contact:  http://www.duncannewsleader.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1314
Author: Myron Van Hollingsworth
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

WAR ON DRUGS HURTS THE PEOPLE IT SHOULD BE PROTECTING

Dear editor,

Cannabis has no lethal dose and its pharmacological effects have never 
caused a single death in over 5,000 years of recorded history.

The (unseen) driving force against medical (or unrestricted adult) 
legalization of cannabis is the fact that cannabis can't be patented. This 
precludes the need for big business to be involved and that fact makes 
cannabis commercially unattractive to the pharmaceutical, tobacco and 
alcohol industries (lobbies). It seems that if it can't be profitized 
successfully the government can't justify legalization even for the sick 
and dying.

Furthermore, the war on cannabis drives the war on drugs. Without cannabis 
prohibition, the drug war would be reduced to a pillow fight. This is the 
politics and the economics of cannabis prohibition.

Maybe the corrupt politicians and media are required to adhere to the party 
line of cannabis prohibition because law enforcement, customs, the prison 
and military industrial complex, the drug testing industry, the "drug 
treatment" industry, the INS, the CIA, the FBI, the DEA, the politicians 
themselves et al can't live without the budget justification, not to 
mention the invisible profits, bribery, corruption and forfeiture benefits 
that prohibition affords them. The drug war also promotes, justifies and 
perpetuates racist enforcement policies and is diminishing many freedoms 
and liberties that are supposed to be inalienable according to the 
constitution and bill of rights.

Myron Van Hollingsworth

Fort Worth, Texas
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager