Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jan 2007 Source: Comox Valley Record (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Comox Valley Record Contact: http://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/784 Author: John Case SMOKING DOPE CAN BE HARMFUL Dear editor, Afghanistan produces over 11 times more opium than the rest of the world combined (National Geographic, Dec. 2006). The trade in opium fuels the insurgency in Afghanistan. Because the production and distribution of all presently illegal drugs is related, the consumption of any of them endangers all Canadians working in Afghanistan. Yes, that includes marijuana -- unless you are growing it yourself! There have been successful drug eradication campaigns in several countries, but never actually during a conflict. An Afghan catch-22 situation. However, it would greatly help to assure a just resolution of the Afghan conflict if we conducted a successful "war on drugs" here. A small, pragmatic first step to that end would be to "legalize" marijuana: reducing its basic price to that of an agricultural commodity -- and taxing it like tobacco. This would knock one lucrative support from under the feet of organized crime, and free up police capacity to go after the purveyors of far more dangerous merchandise. Many users of marijuana are under the delusion that continued use of the weed will somehow promote its "legalization." Does speeding increase speed limits? That is not how a moralistic oligarchy (our federal government) works. A Canadian catch-22 situation. At present, the only things that will be promoted, in part, by continued marijuana consumption (again, unless you grow your own) are, in sequence: organized crime, the unwilling production of cocaine and opium, the use of such "base" to finance insurgencies, and the "putting in harm's way" of other Canadians -- maybe even a neighbour - -- in Afghanistan. John Case, Courtenay - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake