Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jan 2007 Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Parksville Qualicum Beach News Contact: http://www.pqbnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361 Author: Jim Bender Note: Jim Bender is a member of the Marijuana Party of Canada Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) GOVERNMENT CREATED A SYSTEM BENEFITTING THE WORST ONE PERCENT The disturbing trend by RCMP to arrest and detain people for marijuana possession, trafficking and usage is irresponsible in this day and age. After numerous commissions, hundreds of thousands of hours of governmental time consumed studying marijuana, the consensus in Canada remains that marijuana should not be illegal and the denial of this most natural and basic medicine is extreme to the point of undue hardship. Our governments, past and present have failed all of the people of the country. They have squandered vast resources studying this to death, and still, after many commissions gave them a good enough if not well studied answer, they flung those results out of the window of common sense. I find it truly sad that of all the silly things we could be picking on, we are picking on people who have a disability. These people are unwell, suffer immensely, and in the scope of things are being punished for their choice of medicine. Most recently, numerous Human Rights tribunals have examined these similar situations and have resolved to agree that the issue of addiction is really a disability, and as such, has not been treated as one, but instead, has been treated as a crime, contrary to human rights law. Why does the government allow for the sale of carcinogens on the open market? Why does the government not ban chemicals and pesticides when they know they cause cancer? Why does the government allow for raw sewage to be pumped directly into the oceans? Does anyone else think that they have their priorities wrong? It would seem that the government, instead of seeing marijuana legalized, would prefer the method of people selling pot from their homes and schools to people of all ages. No restrictions. This unfettered cash bonanza for criminals contributes more to the criminal underworld than any terrorist organization financing mechanism that operates on earth. The marijuana trade is huge, beyond the capacity of police to deal with and beyond the range of our government. Our government, by the virtue of keeping pot illegal, has created a system that finances the worst one per cent of the population. Marijuana needs to be removed from this criminal paradigm, placed into the hands of the provincial authorities, taxed and used as it was meant to be used -- as a contributor to the well being of the state through the cash injection of taxes. Criminalizing addiction is a farce and our government knows this. One must now wonder, why our government would prefer to see the criminals profiteer, and the police budgets expand and bloat. Bringing marijuana laws into the present out of the dark ages is important and honourable. The poor folks running the compassion club deserve a medal of honour for their work, and we can only hope that by the time the case makes it to trial, there will be changes made. Jim Bender is a member of the Marijuana Party of Canada and lives in Woodstock, Ont. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin