Pubdate: Tue, 29 Apr 2003
Source: West Australian (Australia)
Copyright: 2003 West Australian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.thewest.com.au
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/495
Author: R. Russell-Brown

HISTORY'S LESSON

OPPONENTS of legalising "the evil weed" should learn some history.  In the 
1930s, when the United States experimented with the prohibition of alcohol, 
the youth of the day couldn't have cared less.  Marijuana was legal, 
cheaper, relatively harmless and not addictive like alcohol. (A drug addict 
is a person who has a physiological reaction to the removal of the supply 
of that drug.)

When prohibition was repealed, the alcohol industry was desperate to regain 
its lost market.  So it lobbied US legislators and succeeded in having "the 
evil weed" listed as a narcotic.  In fact, as a result of the end of 
prohibition, quite a few prohibition enforcement officers lost their jobs 
and moved across into the drug enforcement agency where they fought the 
good fight for the alchol industry.

Maybe we should ask ourselves just who is funding the fight to keep 
marijuana illegal?

R. RUSSELL-BROWN, Wanneroo
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom