Pubdate: Fri, 22 Aug 2014
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Page: 15
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.edmontonsun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Marc Patrone

DISTRACTED BY WEED TALK

Talking about pot makes for good politics for politicians who don't
want to talk things that matter.

For the left, talking about weed is much more fun than talking about
say, the economy or terrorism - neither of which they understand.

And so they talk about legalizing marijuana, media dutifully picks it
up and it's a handy distraction from all that other stuff.

I don't care about marijuana.

I know people who smoke it and they don't seem to care if it's legal
or not. They know where to get it if they want some.

Well, good for them.

But, if you want to get stoned, don't make it my problem. That means
staying off the roads if you're high.

Don't do my taxes, fix the brakes on my car or prepare my next meal
if you're stoned. Don't botch my haircut and say "sorry, man, I was
high" and think everything is going to be fine.

It's not.

Yes, I know alcohol can affect the motor skills and it's legal but
that doesn't justify adding any more intoxicants to the list of stuff
that's legal.

Drinking too much alcohol can get you drunk also.

The difference for me is that having a drink can be done for the
purpose of enjoying a beverage.

Smoking a joint is done with the purpose of getting
high.

Some connoisseur of weed will argue with me on that point but that's
the way I see it. You smoke up to get stoned.

Call me old fashioned but I don't think legalization of substances
that encourage people to put smoke in their lungs and get high is a
good thing for society in general.

I don't think being high improves the world we live in. I understand
why the left loves the marijuana issue.

As a proponent of limited government, I believe legalizing pot will
make it my problem.

Legalizing pot will mean the government is going to have to get bigger
to deal with it and government can never be too big for a liberal's
liking.

A ballooning bureaucracy breeds government dependency, which is the
mother's milk of the left.

Anyone paying attention knows liberals are addicted to controlling us
and the bigger government gets, the easier it is for it to order us
around even more than it already does.

They'll make legal pot sound so attractive. They'll sell us on the tax
revenues and the tourism possibilities but we all know it's going to
have a downside, just like gambling, tobacco and liquor.

Everything the government sticks its nose into has unintended
consequences that blow up in its face and end up causing misery and
costing us money. This is no different.

If you don't believe me, look at what's happening in Colorado where
bureaucracy around the enforcement and regulation of marijuana is
growing faster than a pot plant.

And criminal activity didn't stop in Colorado after weed was
legalized.

The gangs are still involved operating outside the legal system and
there are fears that overproduction might mean black market profiteers
will take the product out of state or sell to minors. Gee, who saw
that coming?

A growth in bureaucracy, the growth in government all translates into
growing dependency.

The more dependent people are on government, the more bloated the
welfare state, the easier it is for the left to scare voters with
ominous warnings about how those mean conservatives are going to take
away their crack pipe.

Dependents vote for bigger government and liberals are all too eager
to give it to them ... until the money runs out.

In Canada it's a political issue because Justin Trudeau and his team
think it will help the Liberals get elected.

They need low information, unmotivated voters to get to polls and they
think pot is a way to do it.

Election time is drawing near and you'll hear more about
this.

Now you know why.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D