Pubdate: Fri, 17 Feb 2012
Source: Burnaby Now, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.burnabynow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1592
Page: A6
Author: Pat Tracy

IS IT FINALLY TIME TO LEGALIZE POT?

Granted, I come to the pot party conversation late. I've never smoked 
the stuff - despite my mother's undying belief that I must have been 
partaking during my high school days. What else, she must have 
thought, could have explained my love of Janis Joplin and giving her 
the stink-eye every time she asked me to clean my room? Although 
Joplin's favourite substance appeared to be Southern Comfort.

While my high school friends developed close relationships with their 
very own "dealers," I blithely thought the whole fad would just go 
away. Apparently not.

Whenever we run a story with pot involved, marijuana liberators from 
around the world send emails decrying anti-pot laws.

Again, I thought the campaign for legal pot would die out. Again, 
apparently not.

Now we have former B.C. attorneys general asking the government to 
decriminalize pot.

And it's not like these guys are all left-wingers. Although I don't 
think there are any true conservatives in the bunch.

The former AGs basically argue for decriminalization in order to cut 
down on crime.

Gangs are fuelled by drug sales, and, by the AGs' logic, if you 
legalize and regulate pot sales it will reduce the profit motive for 
gangs to get involved. And that in turn will reduce drug turf wars 
and shootings.

There's some logic to that - although I'm sure the thugs will just 
diversify their holdings into more ecstacy or meth, or the next ugly 
habit-forming substance.

Proponents of legalizing and regulating pot argue that it will reduce 
cases in the justice system - although one suspects those cases will 
soon be replaced by more impaired driving cases and folks charged 
with selling it on the black market or to underage smokers.

Of course, the government will also get some much-needed dough by 
taxing pot sales, and heaven knows how many new jobs will be 
produced, not to mention the spin-off of advertising and branding, 
etc. etc. Who needs liquified gas when one has pot?

But what about higher medical costs and lost productivity?

Smoking pot can't be good in the long term for one's lungs, and 
surely, being stoned - however mildly - doesn't translate into a more 
alert or aware population.

Do we really need another state-sanctioned numbing substance? And 
that's not even including the plethora of things that drug companies push.

Perhaps we're already past the point of no return on pot.

Perhaps we were when I was in high school - which was a long time ago.

And, perhaps, compared to alcohol, it's a better choice of numbing 
agent. Perhaps, Janis Joplin would still be alive if she'd loved pot 
more than Southern Comfort.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart