Pubdate: Fri, 06 Sep 2002
Source: Alliston Herald (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing
Contact:  http://www.simcoe.com/sc/alliston/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2224

POT LUCK

The federal government's senate committee on the legalization of marijuana 
must have been smoking a little pot themselves over the past two years 
while studying the issue.

At a press conference Wednesday, Senator Colin Kenny told the press the 
committee felt legalizing marijuana would reduce its allure to young people 
as an illicit and exciting activity.

To Kenny and his committee co-horts, we send a big "get real."

When has this philosophy ever proven to be true? Would young people 
actually drink more if we made alcohol illegal? Or maybe we could reduce 
the number of drunk drivers on our roads by loosening up the impaired 
driving laws a little. It's an utterly ridiculous position.

And speaking of impaired drivers, don't we have enough on our roads without 
throwing another legal method of becoming impaired into the mix.

If the committee has found that marijuana has some benefit to cancer 
patients and others who use if for medicinal purposes, then make it a legal 
drug that can only be prescribed by a qualified physician. It should be 
treated the same as heavy pain killers and any other drug at the pharmacy. 
There's certainly no need to open the doors and start selling it in 
government run shops like alcohol at the LCBO for recreational use.

Far from its feigned concern for young people, the committee was more 
likely spurred to its reccomendation by the possible revenue the government 
would reap should pot be legalized and sold in "MCBO" outlets. You think 
there's a heavy tax on cigarettes? Wait until you see the whopping sin tax 
put on pot, not to mention the controls to prevent folks from sowing a row 
or two and growing their own.

Put the drug where it belongs -- in the pharmacy and off the streets.
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MAP posted-by: Alex