Pubdate: Thu, 05 Sep 2002
Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB)
Copyright: 2002 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.fyiwinnipeg.com/winsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

SMOKE CLOUDS REASON

We've all heard about how some Canadian senators have been caught sleeping 
on the job or not showing up at all -- for years. Now we think we know the 
reason for such lethargy and truancy. It must be something they're smoking.

How else to explain the conclusions drawn by a special Senate committee 
report recommending that marijuana be legalized.

That's right, the upper chamber of (cough, cough) sober second thought 
isn't recommending decriminalizing marijuana. It is recommending making it 
completely legal.

You know, putting it in packages, selling it at corner stores (marijuana 
marts perhaps?) and, of course, collecting taxes from it.

It's kind of like putting the cart before the horse in all respects.

Firstly, this is a government that has been talking and talking and talking 
for almost 10 years now about making medicinal marijuana available to 
severely ill Canadians but still has done virtually nothing to make that a 
reality. Surely that should come first.

Currently, every political party in this country is in favour of 
decriminalizing the simple possession of marijuana to save our police and 
courts from being bogged down with such minor "crimes" in order to take 
care of more serious crimes.

And with good reason. The cost of drug enforcement runs at $1 billon to 
$1.5 billion a year with a third of that related to cannabis. About half of 
the 90,000 drug incidents reported each year involve pot and up to 600,000 
people have criminal records for simple possession.

As Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said, our laws no longer reflect our 
reality.

Decriminalizing marijuana would make it possible for police to simply issue 
tickets -- similar to speeding tickets -- to people who possess slightly 
more than allowed under the law or for smoking in inappropriate places. 
That means people caught with small amounts of marijuana would not face 
prosecution, jail and a criminal record.

But legalization would simply legitimize something that should be 
discouraged. After all, have we learned nothing about tobacco? And while 
marijuana is no worse than alcohol it still has detrimental effects on 
heavy users.

Lethargy and truancy being just two of them. Just ask the Senate.
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MAP posted-by: Tom