Pubdate: Wed, 02 Mar 2005
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Derek Snider
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n327/a04.html?15047

RACIST AND SENSATIONALIST

RE "Drive for legal marijuana has a few potholes" by Ike Awgu (Feb. 26): 
Ike's "reality" is a little askew. Marijuana wasn't criminalized because it 
was a dangerous drug. It was criminalized due to racism against Mexicans, 
hence the use of the Mexican word, marijuana (or marihuana) rather than its 
proper name cannabis.

It is a sad state of affairs that people are still pushing views based on 
racist and sensationalist anti-marijuana propaganda from 80 years ago. The 
true "reality," if you do your homework and actually take a look at 
scientific studies, is that on all accounts, cannabis is a far less harmful 
drug than alcohol, and that there is no sane justification for keeping 
cannabis illegal while alcohol is not.

Derek Snider

(That may be true, but we have our doubts that Ike's objections have 
anything to do with Mexico)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom