Pubdate: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 The Abbotsford Times Contact: http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009 Author: Kirk Tousaw FACTS ABOUT POT USE LOST IN PROHIBITIONIST ENVIRONMENT The Editor: Re: 'Why the urge to legalize pot?' Times Letters, Jan. 16. Eric Myrholm's letter contained a number of factual inaccuracies about cannabis use. But that isn't what I found striking about the letter. After all, the prohibitionists have rarely bothered to be truthful about marijuana. From the reefer madness of the 1930s, right up to the "crack of marijuana" lies today, prohibitionists have never let reality get in the way of a juicy soundbite. The reason that Myrholm's letter was so interesting was its form. After his laundry list of mostly inaccurate or exaggerated claims about the danger of cannabis, he accused the Senate of not basing its legalization recommendation on valid science. Now that is irony. As if Myrholm's statements, which read as if cribbed from the U.S. drug czar's website, should be taken as gospel and an exhaustive 18-month study disregarded. To be fair, the smoking of cannabis may cause some harm to some people. And long-term, heavy use may cause some harm to some people. For that reason, people should educate themselves about the effects. This is difficult in a prohibitionist environment, because the truth gets distorted by those opposed to reform and people learn to disregard the "official" message. But using cannabis is a choice, and you can only harm yourself by using it [the impaired driving issue is a red herring, because that is and always will be illegal]. And it is clear that the costs of prohibition far outweigh the costs of use - - even if use increased dramatically in a legal environment, an unlikely result because most everyone that wants to use cannabis is doing so already. So why should adult Canadians be denied this choice and, worse, branded criminals for making it? The answer is that they shouldn't. A free society respects the non-harmful choices of its citizens. And we want Canada to be that kind of society. That is why we feel the urge to legalize pot. Kirk Tousaw, Policy Director British Columbia Civil Liberties Association - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman