Pubdate: Sun, 04 Jan 2004 Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2004, Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.fyiottawa.com/ottsun.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329 Author: John Galaise Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1994/a07.html?1104 LEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS MAKES SENSE I'd like to expand on comments by Stephane Bourbonnais ("Letters to the Editor," Dec. 27), with which I agreed fully. I would take his suggestions a couple of steps further. The legalization of cannabis makes sense on all fronts. The federal government loses millions in revenues it could generate, not just by taxing the legal sale of pot, but in the actual manufacturing of the product itself. The fortunes made from this viable industry could then be injected into our struggling health care system to decongest existing hospitals, build new state-of-the-art facilities, and shorten waiting periods for life-extending surgeries. As Mr. Bourbonnais accurately points out, Canadians will consume their substance of choice regardless of legality, and have been for decades, and in significant quantities, if my university exposure is any indication. Why not capitalize on this lucrative market for the greater good? Law enforcement agencies throughout the country have been largely tolerant of personal consumers for a long time, making only sporadic searches and arrests, and turning a quasi-blind eye to recreational use. One might easily argue that marijuana is already legal here; everywhere but on the books. Why not follow the Dutch example and put an end to the hypocrisy once and for all? Cannabis users are not criminals and have been dying to come out of the closet. The government should have taken decisive action on this issue a long time ago. The fact that this is still being endlessly debated signals only that there are too many old farts in Ottawa who haven't got the slightest experience with what it is they're debating and who wouldn't know pot from parsley. Keep on the grass. John Galaise (Actually, we suspect just about everyone involved in the debate has used pot at one time or another -- which may prove your point) - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart