Pubdate: Mon, 22 Feb 2010
Source: Northumberland News (CN ON)
Copyright: 2010 by Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing, Ltd.
Contact: http://www.northumberlandnews.com/opinion/submitletter
Website: http://www.northumberlandnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2373
Author: Thomas James (T.J.) Meehan

PENDING DRUG CRIME LEGISLATION DRACONIAN

To the Editor:

Re: 'Cobourg roundtable discussions examines justice system' (Feb. 19).

Rob Nicholson, Stephen Harper and the rest of the Conservatives are 
waging a petty culture war and wasting millions of dollars on 
enforcing unpopular marijuana laws when that money could go into 
helping Employment Insurance or perhaps putting people back to work 
by growing and selling it legally.

Mr. Nicholson admitted as much, calling indoor cannabis cultivation 
"a business" and he knows there are nearly 5,000 legal medical 
marijuana patients in this country - and growing - who could benefit 
from this. But ideologues like the justice minister have blinders on. 
He is threatening once again to re-introduce a draconian drug crime 
bill that died during proroguement.

It's a bill so important, Mr. Harper has killed it twice by closing 
the House of Commons. And Mr. Nicholson, in his two-bit WWE manager 
act, throws tantrums about the Liberal Senate stalling it. The nerve of him.

It's interesting he didn't introduce a bill featuring a mandatory 
minimum for sexual assault or child pornography, or maybe legislation 
to give tougher sentences when police, RCMP or Canadian Forces 
members commit real crimes. Police should take down the perverts, not 
the pot plants.

Thomas James (T.J.) Meehan

Kingston
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