Pubdate: Sun, 20 Apr 2003
Source: Sunday Times (Australia)
Copyright: 2003 Times Newspapers Ltd
Contact: http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/letters/letters.html
Website: http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/438
Author: M. Simms

TARGET THE DEALERS

THE proposed law reforms surrounding the recreational usage of marijuana 
should be upheld and sentences for propagating and selling should be 
increased in line with other more dangerous drugs.

Recently, I attended the funeral of a suicide victim who became mentally 
ill after smoking marijuana.

If you ring the drug hotline they will tell you that there are more deaths 
from alcohol and cigarettes than marijuana, ignoring the fact that more 
people drink or smoke and that it is more socially accepted. Most people 
are unaware of the dangers of marijuana.

The media has anti-smoking campaigns showing cancerous lungs and 
drink-driving/domestic violence campaigns showing our children banged up in 
car wrecks and women with black eyes.  But when it comes to pot no such 
campaign exists.  Why?  Because until it happens to a politicians's child 
it's not a priority.

M. SIMMS

Ballajura
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