Pubdate: Fri, 08 Aug 2014
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2014 The Edmonton Journal
Website: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Jim Church
Page: A21
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n646/a04.html

MUDDYING THE WATERS

Re: "War on drugs needs a rethink," Ideas, Steve Lafleur, Aug. 7

Those advocating for a "rethink" on the war on drugs, and particularly
marijuana, need to rethink themselves.

Using specious arguments about caffeine versus marijuana, Steve
Lafleur tries to muddy the waters. Nevertheless, would legalizing
marijuana reduce the "buy up" of drug gangs? Not, according to
findings coming out of Colorado recently. There, illegal marijuana
continues to flourish, maybe even more so because of inabilities to
detect "legal" from "illegal," as does other illicit drug use.
Moreover, study after study shows that marijuana continues to be a
gateway drug to "harder" drugs, regardless of ease of availability.
The "black market" continues to flourish - Lafleur is patently wrong
on this.

Another case in point is the trafficking of prescription drugs. While
counselling a young man some time ago, he casually mentioned that he
could obtain "any kind of" prescription meds and be back at our
location in 15 minutes! And we were sitting in a small-town
restaurant, far from the mean streets of the big city.

As far as marijuana being "benign," tell that to the family of the
victim struck by an intoxicated driver. Or the family of a young
person who, because of ingesting THC, had their inhibitions lowered
and ended up in a morgue from ingesting other, more potent drugs.

No one is saying these are easy matters to deal with, but caving in
and legalizing a gateway drug simply because it is proving difficult
to police is no excuse for not trying.

Rev. Jim Church, Leduc
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MAP posted-by: Matt