Pubdate: Tue, 19 Apr 2005
Source: Camrose Booster, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 The Camrose Booster
Contact:  http://www.camrosebooster.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2438
Author: Tyson Campbell
Note: Title by MAP
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n600/a08.html?52994
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n536/a07.html?52994

ALEX BOOS IS RIGHT

Dear Editor:

Re: Boos, Again Advocates Caging Humans For Using Cannabis

You know, Alex Boos is right (letters, 12 April). In an ideal world nobody 
would do any kind of drug and then nobody would go to jail. I can't wait 
until Mr. Boos supermen 'educators' will save us all. Since he says he 
doesn't advocate prohibition and obviously isn't fond of decriminalization 
and legalization, what else could it be?

Our society routinely exposes children to legal drugs. What else do they 
learn, other than the illusion that drugs solve all our problems? How many 
adults still think that? Then educators teach them marijuana is as 
dangerous as heroin and crack. Promptly learning from their peers that 
marijuana is non-toxic, some of them assume they were also lied to about 
all the illegal drugs.

Mr. Boos is also sadly mistaken about Europe. First, I don't think any 
European country has as much respect for tobacco as we do. And, if there is 
any reason for a culture of respect for marijuana in the Netherlands, it is 
because the government allowed it to become culturalized. And by doing so, 
they were also promptly awarded with steadily declining numbers of new hard 
drug addicts, something they attribute directly to their separation of the 
hard and soft drug markets. Oh yeah, their cannabis use rates are lower as 
well. I don't see how the notion of them being culturally different 
automatically means that it couldn't work over here, because what ever 
we're doing, it isn't working.

The government has completely lost control of the marijuana market, and is 
in no position to gain it back through current methods. It is even easier 
for kids to get than booze or cigarettes now. And now it seems they are 
getting bored with the old illegal drug du jour, as the new buzz phrase is 
that "cocaine is the new weed." Mr. Boos' ideas are outdated and quickly 
becoming a joke, and every kid out there knows it. Why don't we all suck up 
our pride and actually try some ideas that might actually keep drugs out of 
kids' hands?

Tyson Campbell, Calgary
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom