Pubdate: Mon, 20 Feb 2012
Source: Smithers Interior News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.interior-news.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1631
Author: Cameron Orr, Smithers Interior News 

POLITICAL PRESSURE REVERSING ON MARIJUANA; TIME TO
LEGALIZE?

Our sister newspaper down the street in Terrace, the Terrace Standard,
posted a story to their website last week, reporting that our MP
Nathan Cullen supports a decriminalization of marijuana.

The discussion is interesting as talks about the legalization of the
drug is starting to have more weight behind it.

The federal Liberal party recently voted to endorse marijuana
legalization as they try to rebuild themselves.

The direction these political parties are taking is, perhaps,
indicative of a new culture of politics on the horizon.

Whenever talk of marijuana comes up it's easy to dismiss the arguments
as coming from 'potheads' who have no other lot in life but to smoke
up.

Now the NDP are after the official government, and our MP, a man going
after the head post of the federal NDP, is talking about relaxing the
pot laws. The Liberals, looking for new glory, are bringing up the
issue as well.

And if these two parties have both decided that this is an issue that
will help them gain seats, who's to say the Conservatives won't try to
appease voters with similar concessions?

So is all this good? Yes, I think so.

I've heard the arguments for and against marijuana and I've never been
convinced it's worth our time to criminalize it. Regulated,
absolutely; I would not want to have to walk my children passed clouds
of pot smoke on a sidewalk, just as I wouldn't want them to walk past
drunk pedestrians.

If we can make laws that society has found acceptable for alcohol
consumption and tobacco use, seems like we can make room for marijuana.

As well anything that cuts into crime profits is good in my books. On
the safety front, BC Hydro is saying that their smart meters will help
with the millions of dollars of power stolen for things like grow ops
- - of which no community is immune, by the way, meaning Smithers may be
just as victimized by crime as any other.

Perhaps it's time for society to get a little more progressive. We'll
just have to wait and see if the politicians are just blowing smoke.
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.