HTTP/1.0 200 OK Content-Type: text/html Canada Can't Handle Cannabis Legalization 
Pubdate: Sat, 12 Mar 2005
Source: Medicine Hat News (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 Alberta Newspaper Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.medicinehatnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1833
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

CANADA CAN'T HANDLE CANNABIS LEGALIZATION

Proponents of legalizing marijuana want to experiment with our society
again.

Canada can't handle it. The country has enough to contend with, with
abusing liquor after the provincial government in its lack of wisdom
dropped the drinking age to 18 years.

Alberta is struggling to bring in smoking bans. Why introduce another
smoke product to control? Ingestion of marijuana will still lead to
diminished immune deficiencies, reduce lung capacity and possibly lead
to cancer. Clearly ingesting smoke into your lungs is not healthy, so
why condone it.

Is marijuana a gateway drug to harder narcotics? The Canadian Chiefs
of Police believe it is. One can safely assume they have the figures
to back that up. If a person is so predisposed to use drugs to alter
their reality, which is the only reason to take drugs, why wouldn't
they follow that pursuit further.

Legal pot would still see a market for illegal pot. There is no doubt
any government pot would be inferior to street pot right now and its
legalization would allow illegal producers to make higher profit.

THC is the active chemical in marijuana which produces the euphoric
high. Improved hydroponics and proper plant nurturing leave our old
conceptions of this soft drug miles behind.

Just picture someone behind the wheel of a vehicle stoned on
high-grade marijuana. A euphoric drive in the country could bring you
back to nature the hard way.

Practically speaking, let's not condone another destructive vise. We
can't handle the ones we have now.

For those who now partake, beware. It is still a criminal offence
which will acquire you a record, mess up your employment opportunities
and keep you from seeing Disneyland. Once convicted in Canada of a
narcotics offence, you will never be allowed across the U.S. border.

So acquire it where you can, smoke in secret and live in
fear.
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MAP posted-by: Derek