Pubdate: Wed, 01 Sep 1999
Source: Calgary Sun (Canada)
Copyright: 1999, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.canoe.ca/CalgarySun/
Forum: http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/home.html
Contact:  Pat Dolan
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n923.a02.html/canada
Comment: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor; headline by newshawk

THIS IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE?

NOVA PIERSON'S report on Grant Krieger's Universal Compassion Club,
("Crusader cuffed," Aug. 28) will disturb many Sun readers. The club,
we are told, "sells marijuana to sick or dying people who have letters
from their doctors." And this is a criminal offence? Is this the kind
of justice system Canadians want?

A 1997 poll found 51% of Canadians wanted marijuana decriminalized.
The Swiss, it seems, are more reasonable: The Berner Zeitung reported
Aug. 26, that "Tokers (Are) No Longer To Be Prosecuted." And the
Fraser Institute concluded recently, "it may be that drug users are
fools, maybe they are immoral, but as long as it is legal to drink and
smoke yourself to death, it makes no sense to imprison some of our
immoral fools and not others." (Survey published in the Vancouver
Province, Sept. 6, 1998)

Pat Dolan
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MAP posted-by: Derek Rea