Pubdate: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Copyright: 2004 The Ottawa Citizen Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Author: Russell Barth Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04.n1653.a01.html BUSINESS LOBBY SELECTIVELY RESISTS CANNABIS Re: Big-business lobby urges delay in easing marijuana laws, Nov. 22. Although it is not recommended that any one should be "impaired" while at work, it seems arbitrary and discriminatory for this business lobby to single out cannabis or its decriminalization as a potential work-slowing factor. Alcohol, illness and legal medications are much bigger factors than all illegal drugs combined. There is also no information to suggest that loosening cannabis laws will significantly increase cannabis use. History has shown that full legalization and regulation of alcohol actually reduced the dangers at home and at work, and the same would be true with cannabis. This warning from the Canadian Council of Chief Executives is more propaganda to put the fear into the population about how the sky will fall if we adjust the marijuana prohibition even a little. I am sure that if we were to look back to news items from the 1920s and 1930s, we'd find exactly the same sorts of articles from doomsayers about repealing alcohol prohibition. Prohibition is not working. It never has, and never will. After 80 years, if it were going to work, it would have worked by now. Russell Barth, Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin