Pubdate: Sun, 04 Jan 2004
Source: Halifax Herald (CN NS)
Copyright: 2004 The Halifax Herald Limited
Contact:  http://www.herald.ns.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/180
Author: Greg Francisco

HAVEN'T LEARNED YET

Thanks for the outstanding column by Arthur Black, "You're, um, busted, 
man" (The Sunday Herald, Dec. 28).

Mr. Black hits the nail right on: Cannabis poses far less danger to the 
public safety and neighbourhood tranquillity than legal drugs like alcohol 
and tobacco. Just try taking away a tobacco addict's coffin nails and 
you'll see the fur fly.

I would add that 100 per cent of cannabis-related violence is 
cannabis-prohibition violence. In the 1920s and early '30s, and with the 
best of intentions, the U.S. embarked on the Noble Experiment of Alcohol 
Prohibition. It didn't stop anyone from drinking; it only transferred 
control of the drug from the government to criminal syndicates.

And so it is today with cannabis prohibition: illegal stills and bathtub 
gin (grow ops and meth labs), blind pigs (drug houses), turf wars and 
drive-by shootings, police corruption and rampant disregard for the law 
(some things never change).

Alcohol prohibition was finally repealed not because people decided alcohol 
wasn't so dangerous after all; they just came to realize prohibition is worse.

Have we learned the lessons of history? Nope, not yet.

Greg Francisco, Paw Paw, MI,

Educators for Sensible Drug Policies
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart