Pubdate: Tue, 29 Nov 2011
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2011, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948
Author: Jim Corder

FEDERAL FLEXIBILITY NEEDED ON MARIJUANA

To the Editor,

Re: Citizens rally over federal crime stance, Nov. 26, and Federal 
crime bill a step backward, Letters, Nov. 26.

I believe Barbara Kohlman's comment "the public is not as 
knowledgeable on the crime bill as it should be" , including those 
doing the rallying.

I haven't seen anything in the media that supports scare-mongering 
ideas like "sending teens to jail for shoplifting"  or "jailing the 
mentally ill, addicted or poverty stricken" . Is this speculation or 
did I miss a government announcement?

I assume Bill C-10 is available on the government website, but 
perhaps newspapers across the country could run it in detail as well.

Because so much in our justice system needs changing, I'd rather see 
it done incrementally than with a cumbersome omnibus bill.

The same could apply to an overhaul of our dysfunctional health-care 
system, our even more dysfunctional Aboriginal industry, and a few 
other Ottawa bureaucracies we can do without.

One judicial area that needs re-thinking is marijuana laws. I totally 
agree with Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and his four predecessors 
who have endorsed a coalition calling for an end to marijuana laws in 
Canada in order to reduce violent, gang-related crime.

Prohibition didn't work in the past and is still failed policy today.

The revenue from legalization, regulation and taxation of pot would 
go far in providing rehabilitation for those addicted to harder and 
far more dangerous drugs and education for potential addicts.

It's time our federal government displayed some flexibility.

Jim Corder

Nanaimo
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom