Pubdate: Fri, 13 Jul 2007
Source: Langley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Langley Times
Contact:  http://www.langleytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1230
Author: Robert Sharpe

DON'T FOLLOW THE AMERICAN APPROACH

Editor: Please consider publishing the following letter in response
to Tom Fletcher's column (The Times, July 4).

For non-violent offenders with chronic substance abuse problems,
community courts are a cost-effective alternative to incarceration. I
just hope Canada's community courts aren't misused for political
purposes the way they are here in the United States.

Record numbers of U.S. citizens arrested for marijuana possession have
been forced into treatment by the criminal justice system. The
resulting distortion of treatment statistics is used by U.S. Drug Czar
John Walters to make the claim that marijuana is "addictive."

Zero tolerance drug laws do not distinguish between occasional use and
chronic abuse. The coercion of Americans who prefer marijuana to
martinis into government treatment centres says a lot about U.S.
government priorities, but absolutely nothing about the relative harm
of marijuana.

Community courts in the U.S. have unfortunately become the latest tool
of culture warriors intent on enforcing their version of morality.
Canada should Just Say No to the American Inquisition.

The following U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration report verifies my claims regarding government
coercion: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k2/MJtx/MJtx.htm and
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k6/TXtrends/TXtrends.pdf

ROBERT SHARPE

policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, DC
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MAP posted-by: Steve Heath