Pubdate: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 Source: Surrey Leader (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 Surrey Leader Contact: http://www.surreyleader.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1236 Author: Wayne Clark GONE TO POT The decriminalization of marijuana is a no-brainer. There is no question that the war on drugs has been a total failure and a total waste of taxpayer money. We have wasted trillions of dollars trying to enforce a flawed ideal. We see the end results in the papers and on the news every day, gangsters shooting each other to get control of the outrageous profits from illegal drugs, we are also ruining other countries with our irrational behaviour. The champions of continuing this insanity will tell you that the policy isn't bad, we just haven't enforced it severely enough. You only have to look at the U.S. to see the folly of that statement. One out of every 100 Americans is behind bars and almost half are there as a result of drug charges, which gives America the highest incarceration rate in the world. In fact you would have to give them an A for effort on fighting the so-called drug war, but quite simply prohibition doesn't work - never has, never will. Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Wayne Clark Maple Ridge - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin