Pubdate: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Copyright: 2006 The Ottawa Citizen Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Author: Gillian Maxwell Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n318/a04.html?304213 DON'T BLAME US Re: U.S. Report warns of Canadian marijuana, drug labs, March 15. Canadians should be incensed that the U.S. government is pointing fingers at us and other countries as the cause of its drug problems. The spread of disease, death, violence and organized crime is a consequence of prohibitionist drug policies that the U.S. government originally strong-armed other countries into adopting. And while it unilaterally ignores other international treaties, the U.S. is quick to bleat when sovereign nations such as Canada attempt to move beyond prohibitionist policies to saner drug policies to protect public health and safety. Mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes have contributed to the world's largest prison population in the so-called "land of the free" to the south. Please, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, show some leadership and don't be led further down the ideological path of failed drug policies. Gillian Maxwell, Vancouver, Chair, Keeping the Door Open: Dialogues on Drug Use - --- MAP posted-by: Derek