Pubdate: Thu, 17 May 2001
Source: Maple Ridge News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Maple Ridge News
Contact:  http://www.mapleridgenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1328
Authors: Matt Eisenschenk & Brad Duncan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Legalization/Decriminalization)
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n842/a04.html

KEEPING POT ILLEGAL MAKES THINGS WORSE

Editor, The News:

Re: Don't legalize pot (letters, May 9).

Jeremie Geschke is correct; marijuana is bad for you, however the 
solution is not to criminalize it. The solution is education.

The negative effects of marijuana have been greatly exaggerated. 
Cigarettes are also harmful and much more addictive than marijuana; 
however they are not illegal. Being obese also causes cancer. Should 
we lock up obese people and force them to lose weight?

His view that "the economy will go down because people won't work" is 
not a valid argument in a free society. Using these arguments, 
alcohol and cigarettes should also be illegal because they do not 
contribute to your productivity. It's pretty hard to have a 
productive day while drinking or after a night of drinking.

Where do we draw the line? Should all harmful or unproductive 
behaviours be illegal?

Matt Eisenschenk
Pullman, Washington

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Editor, The News:

Well, I have to applaud Jeremie Geschke for realizing the inherent 
dangers of smoking marijuana; however, his arguments seem to be 
against smoking pot, rather than being against legalization. He 
points out that cannabis has over 360 chemicals, but how many 
chemicals are in a can of pop, a bag of chips, an apple? The 
preservatives,MSG, for crying out loud, chemicals are in our air, 
water and everything in between.

Pot alters your mood, but so does caffeine. I don't see coffee being 
ripped off the shelves. Juan Valdez isn't a drug lord. Too much 
Aspirin can mess you up too. We don't outlaw smoking or alcohol, both 
as or more dangerous than marijuana. We tried prohibition once, and 
it didn't take. All it did was create a black market, in which 
gangsters would make millions of dollars off of bootlegging in such 
widespread operations that law enforcement could hardly make a dent. 
Sound familiar?

And that's another issue. Organized crime controls the drugs. 
Therefore, there are no regulations controlling the growth, 
distribution and sale, which means it's actually easier for under-age 
kids to get their hands on drugs. If the government regulated it, it 
would be sold in stores rather than street corners, by clerks instead 
of dealers. When you make something illegal, you give away control.

Legalizing pot would bring in billions of dollars for social 
programs, (possibly lowering taxes) and lower prison populations 
because cells won't be filled with non-violent drug offenders. Now 
when you consider all this, please take into account that I'm a 
20-year-old who has never touched pot, cigarettes or alcohol. I don't 
recommend smoking pot to ANYONE, let alone children, and I'm not 
voting for the Marijuana Party. I just look at the way things are and 
ask myself: What is it that really makes a drug dangerous? Now think 
about that over you're morning coffee.

Brad Duncan
Maple Ridge
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MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe