Pubdate: Tue, 07 Mar 2006
Source: Chronicle, The (CN QU)
Copyright: 2006 Media Transcontinental
Contact:  http://www.westislandchronicle.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4097
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n256/a04.html
Author: Russell Barth
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n256/a04.html?301062

LOST CREDIBILITY

I applaud anyone's effort to keep kids off drugs, but it is adults 
who have failed to keep drugs away from kids, and it is adults who 
have failed to keep kids away from drugs ('Drugs easy to get at, 
students say,' The Chronicle, March 1.) Just like alcohol in the last 
century, it is adults' ridiculous prohibition that has made it this way.

Adults have lost all credibility when it comes to all drugs, because 
we have lied and exaggerated the so-called "dangers" of marijuana. We 
tell kids that marijuana will cause cancer, schizophrenia, impotence, 
permanent stupidity and an addiction to hard drugs.

When kids find the truth on their own (which is just a Google search 
away), they will realize they have been systematically lied to by 
people they once trusted. They will think; "Adults lied about Santa 
Claus, the Easter Bunny and marijuana, so they must be lying about 
meth, crack, booze, safe-sex and safe-driving, too." And who can blame them?

We advertise booze, fast cars, fast food, violent movies and video 
games and drugs of all kinds on TV, then tell kids "say no to drugs." 
We give kids Ritalin, instead of reducing their sugar and Game-Boy 
intake, and then tell kids "Marijuana is dangerous!" They see right 
though this hypocrisy. A ruse by any other name...

Taking the marijuana business out of the hands of kids and criminals 
and putting it into the hands of responsible adults is socially 
conservative. Generating tax revenue from that industry is fiscally 
conservative, and using that money to teach kids why they should 
avoid drugs is morally conservative.

By not legalizing and regulating marijuana production and sales, we 
subsidize criminals, make pot easier for kids to access than either 
tobacco or alcohol, waste valuable police resources and billions of 
dollars annually, deprive ourselves of a source of valuable medicine 
and miss out on $3 billion in annual tax revenue.

For those keen on educating kids about drugs without all the 
fear-mongering, hyperbole, and absurd hypocrisy of the standard "drug 
education" programs, I recommend the Educators For Sensible Drug

Policy website at www.efsdp.org.

Russell Barth

Federal Medical Marijuana License Holder

Ottawa
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