Pubdate: Wed, 11 Apr 2001
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Kamloops Daily News
Contact:  http://www.southam.com/kamloopsdailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Author: Dale Bass

TRUSTEE AGAINST DRUGS NOT FOR LEGALIZING

Lal Sharma is not in favour of legalizing marijuana.

Furthermore, the rookie trustee says he's never used it and feels it's his 
job as a trustee to encourage students to avoid drug use.

Sharma adds he's perplexed about rumours he advocated legalizing marijuana 
during a board meeting Monday at Logan Lake.

He says comments he made during a presentation from Trustee Chris Rose may 
have led to the misunderstanding. Rose was reporting favourably on his 
visit to John Tod Elementary, where he attended a presentation by RCMP on 
the Drug Abuse Resistance  Education (DARE) program.

Sharma, a DARE critic, noted a recent letter to the editor in Kamloops This 
Week criticized the program.

Sharma said the letter writer was associated with a group which advocates 
legalizing marijuana "and then I replied 'let's not badmouth people. Let's 
talk about the issues.'

"Then I pointed out the president of Mexico (Vicente Fox) has said the war 
against the drug cartels has been lost and I said 'whatever we have been 
doing, hasn't  worked.'"

Board chair Denise Harper agrees the situation has been taken out of context.

She says her understanding was Sharma was reciting information from the 
letter to  show he is not alone in criticism of DARE.

Trustee Sandy Mallory agrees, saying Sharma never advocated legalizing 
marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens