Pubdate: Sun, 21 Sep 2003
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2003 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Author: Jonathan D. Vairogs

BAD DRUG POLICY

The political winds of change are blowing, but it seems our government has 
a hard time upholding a logical perspective on drugs, their usage and their 
distribution.

A little while back, the federal government started making marijuana 
available to patients with prescriptions. But when the Bloc Pot party 
wanted to turn its campaign centre in Montreal into a cafe where marijuana 
would be not sold but could smoked by users who brought it with them, the 
law-enforcement agencies jumped on the occasion to make their political 
statement and threaten any users with immediate arrest.

Your Sept. 16 article "Injection site set to open" shows a lack of 
coherence in drug policy. Why would we endorse a centre where cocaine and 
heroine could be used (followed by a smooth landing in the "chill room") 
when soft drugs that are on the verge of being decriminalized aren't 
permitted in a local cafe?

Jonathan D. Vairogs

Verdun
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