Re "Letter to the Editor," by Russell Barth (July 24): It's the perfect remark to illustrate the folly of expecting that the criminalization of marijuana protects vulnerable people from its dangers. If the point was to qualify a reason for keeping it illegal, it's a non sequitur, a fallacy that does not follow. Replacing the word "marijuana" with "an automobile" demonstrates just how vacuous such illogical thinking is. "While an automobile may be harmless to some, that doesn't mean it's harmless to everyone." [continues 71 words]
Re: Letter to Editor, "Marijuana a Gateway Drug", by Clarence Tifenbach, July 9, 2004 Is Clarence Tifenbach's brain tainted? His poison pen strains at the gnat of marijuana dangers, only to swallow a camel of PCP lacing. Perhaps the drinking water in Fanny Bay is controlled by the black market? Something must be pickling the hearts and minds in the Comox Valley, if his probations are any indication of the general milieu. If the irrational views he spouts off are indicative, it is that the swill of facts he presents are horribly corrupt. [continues 182 words]
Re: your Jan. 19 editorial "Time to get serious about marijuana law." Criminalizing a commodity in demand artificially creates hyper-profits. Anti-cannabis laws act exactly like an eternal government grant for the cannabis marketplace. One can only wonder whose interests are really being served. David d'Apollonia Dollard des Ormeaux [end]
Your rebutting remark -- "Regardless of what you think of our drug laws, we can't see the Supreme Court deciding that a government's responsibility to regulate is unconstitutional" -- to Tom Pashkov's letter to the editor which stated Supreme Court justices are out of touch (Dec. 29) is ludicrous. You got it partly right though, when commenting, "we can't see ..." for there are none so blind as those who refuse to open their eyes and see. One would think that such regulatory details depend upon what is being regulated and in what manner. [continues 97 words]
It doesn't surprise me that your negative editorial position (Hits and Misses, Nov. 16) regarding Jack Layton's endorsement of legal marijuana reflects a nauseating, asinine twiddling, so common to the politically bamboozled mindset of social conservatism. Layton's Pot-TV interview was anything but a miss. The NDP will receive many votes in the next election as a result of honestly representing this important issue of reforming Canada's outdated and immoral marijuana laws, a.k.a. prohibition. It's your stilted viewpoint that gets a brickbat for fulminating over Jack Layton's savvy political courage. And that's not even to mention the lame puns you torture your readers with. Have you no shame? David d'Apollonia, Dollard Des Ormeaux, Que. [end]
Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli of the "Royal Canadian Marijuana Police" wants to assure us his cadre of benevolent narcs should still be able to arrest pot users at their discretion. Wouldn't want the Royal Canadian "police state" to lose any ground for future funding grabs, now would we? David d'Apollonia (Don't be so cynical.) [end]
Well, I have to hand it to Sun Media for the excellent job it is doing in what is called real journalism! Canada has long been in need of a public, national debate over our unjust, expensive and obsolete laws of marijuana prohibition. Reporter Jason Botchford in particular covered a wealth of information. My hope is more Canadians will become better informed and understand these issues. With good writing comes passion and empathy -- that place in the heart where ignorance and apathy strike out. I tip my baseball cap to your Sun Media series, a grand-slam if I ever saw one. It looks like we may be in the ninth inning, at that. David d'Apollonia, Calgary (Thanks, but don't get overly optimistic.) [end]
Re the RN&R's thorough Q-9 coverage: As Nov. 5 approaches and voters in Nevada decide whether or not to support Question 9, no adults will be arrested or prosecuted for procuring the services of a prostitute or enjoy gambling games in any of Nevada's casinos. That's because the State of Nevada recognizes the rights of its citizens to make their own decisions and choices concerning those consensual activities. It should be no different for marijuana or anything really that an adult desires to consume into their own body. David d'Apollonia Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec [end]
Changing our bad prohibitive laws that criminalize marijuana is long overdue (Gazette, Oct. 24, "Tolerance for legal pot higher"), considering the LeDain Commission recommended decriminalization way back in the early 1970s. What are our lawmakers waiting for, permission from the Drug War barons in Washington? Canada's own drug laws are evidently tweaked, to put it mildly, by the United States's own warped political interests and its puritanical social-engineering mind-set of "just say no," zero-tolerance, zero-thinking drug policies. Canadians deserve better than the failures of American prohibition. [continues 129 words]
Dear Editor: Re: "Be careful about medical pot use, MD warns" (March 12). Dr. Henry Haddad may discover his parochial attitude of "reefer madness" has garnered himself an unexpected adversary. Wasn't it Christ who warned of a particular spiritual disease that afflicts many; hypocrisy is it? He compared this mental disorder to leaven; an agent of spiritual fermentation that fills the individual with intoxicating levels of self-delusion, fraud and hubris. (Luke 12:1) Cannabis is safer than aspirin, for God's sake. Recreational use is a form of self-medication; whether it relieves stress, depression or plain boredom, besides the myriad of other palliative actions documented over the centuries. [continues 55 words]
THE EDITOR, Sir: IT IS stunningly ironic that Pentecostal minister A. Glen Brady "urged his flock, in their wisdom, to not support the recommendations or any moves to decriminalise marijuana usage". Pray tell, dear minister of God, what wisdom is there in prohibition, criminal interdiction and the folly of America's narco-imperialism, a.k.a. the war on drugs? Please, with all due respect, educate yourself what has been going on. There is an abundance of sources of information and wisdom concerning Drug Reform Policy issues available today, thanks to the hard work and dedication of countless volunteers and reformers worldwide. I offer a starting place, the Media Awareness Project, MAP, as an invaluable tool, a sheer reservoir and abundance of knowledge, wisdom and understanding in these pertinent matters. World Wide Web access: www.mapinc.org, P.O. Box 651, Porterville, CA 93258, (800) 266-5759. [continues 222 words]
Editor, The Gazette: So Brian Taylor, leader of the B.C. Marijuana Party, decides to quit just when the stakes are rising. According to him, the president of the party, Marc Emery is too dictatorial. Well, maybe he needs to chill out. Brian Taylor says he wants to work within the legislative system as opposed to the court system. What does "legislative system" mean anyway? Politics and the parliamentary system, I guess. The law is highly political, especially in the courts. Remember Frederic Bastiat? He had the honesty and courage to "tell it as it is," back in the 19th century. The Law was first published as a pamphlet in June, 1850. [continues 70 words]
To the editor: Three cheers to Mike Patriquen for taking the proverbial bull of prohibition by the horns. Since marijuana prohibition is unconstitutional, besides immoral, this lawsuit against the judge and the Crown prosecutor is truly forthcoming and long overdue. In fact, this sort of litigation could possibly evolve into a class-action suit, could it not? Sign me up! Do we, as citizens, really want our society manipulated by drug warrior ideologues and their anti-marijuana drug policies? The so-called legality of prohibition is like an orthodox dogma - it's unbelievable. Treating people as criminals for choosing to use a herb is a terrible miscarriage of justice, besides the shameless hypocrisy it promotes. Godspeed, Mike! I recommend lawmakers read a recent essay by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., entitled Give It Up, Drug Warriors (http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/drugtoll.html). But will they learn, that is the question. David d'Apollonia Dartmouth [end]
To the editor: The thing about Allan Rock's so-called "moving forward on medical marijuana regulation," as Robert Sharpe claims in his letter to the editor last Sunday, is if Health Canada's regulations are described as "moving forward," it is only because the government is at such a disgraceful policy position to begin with. Why are compassion clubs persecuted by the RCMP? Wine, beer and spirits are regulated by the government, for instance. Yet those who choose to ferment their own beer and wine need no "regulatory approval" of Health Canada, the justice system or the medical establishment. What kind of "approval" is required to obtain over-the-counter drugs from a pharmacy? [continues 64 words]
To the editor: The debate to legalize cannabis has been going on for a long time. Canada had its own Le Dain Commission almost 30 years ago. It correctly identified the mistakes with our drug laws and made appropriate recommendations. Yet Canadian lawmakers ignored it. Why? My compliments to Parker Barss Donham for his latest column (Canada Should Avoid War On Drugs, The Sunday Daily News, Feb 25). He correctly identified the main reasons most of Canada's lawmakers have refused to act: stupidity and cowardice. [continues 88 words]
To the editor: Justice Minister Anne McLellan says she is prepared to put more money towards fighting recreational drug use. Her comments were in response to a report issued by the UN International Narcotics Control Board, that was highly critical of Canada's so-called lax anti-drug efforts, in particular regarding cannabis. The last thing Canada needs is to waste money on American-style drug interdiction methods that have done absolutely nothing to prevent drug use. How about spending more money on health care and education? Prohibition just doesn't work. It didn't prevent alcohol use, and it certainly won't stop cannabis use. Prohibition actually encourages criminal activity by encouraging underground markets. Billions of dollars have been wasted for decades now. David d'Apollonia Dartmouth [end]
Dartmouth, N.S. -- Attorney-General Anne McLellan says she is prepared to put more money toward fighting illicit, recreational drug use. Her comments were in response to a report issued by the UN International Narcotics Control Board, highly critical of Canada's so-called lax antidrug efforts, in particular regarding cannabis. The last thing Canada needs is to waste money on American-style drug interdiction methods that have done absolutely nothing to prevent drug use. How about spending more money on health care and education? [continues 90 words]
Reefer madness is alive, compliments of Ken Lane. The gateway theory is the bread and butter of fear-mongering authoritarians. He cackles in his letter how "addiction" is caused by the infamous marijuana drug. His is a repressive ideology of blaming marijauna users for the ills of society. Get rid of marijuana and no more addicts, huh? I've heard those marching orders before. Get rid of communists, ecologists and hippies and no more poverty. Get rid of blacks, browns and yellows and no more crime. Get rid of Jews, gypsies and gays and no more vice. Sound familiar? David d'Apollonia, Dartmouth, N.S. [end]
To the editor: Stephen B. Perrott complained that The Daily News has "ignorant contributors who know little of fascism and authoritarianism" (Letters, April 30). Is Mr. Perrott really savvy to what the proper criteria is for describing fascism? Is there some official rulebook of what is politically permissible to call fascist-like and what isn't? Of course, a school environment requires rules of conduct. Calling in police, though, using limited funds and resources to finance an undercover operation, over the use of a relatively safe herb like cannabis is truly ignorant, in my opinion. David d'Apollonia, Dartmouth [end]
To the editor: The world of Prohibition is one of hypocrisy and authoritarianism. One of the most effective justifications and propaganda mantras of the war on drugs is that criminalizing drug use is necessary, at all costs, "to save the children." The end never justifies the means. Bicentennial School principal Mike Brownlow's lofty and vain attempt to rationalize the foolish and deceitful undercover operation of the police is nothing short of a tacit support of Fascist-like, authoritarian ideology. "As a parent and an educator, I encourage Mr. Donham to visit a school and witness first-hand the heartbreak caused by illegal drug use. In my book, any attempt to limit or cease drug trafficking is much appreciated," Mr. Brownlow wrote last week. No wonder many kids today loathe and disrespect schools, besides anti-drug, law enforcement practices. What they see is a witless parochial system in bed together with arrogant drug warriors. David d'Apollonia, Dartmouth [end]
