Pubdate: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU) Copyright: 2012 Canwest Publishing Inc. Contact: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/letters.html Website: http://www.montrealgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274 LEGAL POT: POLITICAL STUNT OR IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME? Every weekday morning, the members of The Gazette's editorial board meet to discuss issues of the day and in particular what topics to consider for the next day's editorial. On Tuesday, in the wake of the federal Liberal Party voting at its convention in Ottawa on the weekend to call for the legalization of marijuana, one of us suggested an editorial also endorsing pot legalization. The subsequent debate was a long and spirited one, and it will continue. In the meantime, on The Gazette's Facebook page (facebook.com/montrealgazette), we asked readers whether they think there should be a Gazette editorial endorsing legalization. Here are some responses: I don't use it myself but yes, it should be legalized. Regulate and tax it as we do alcohol. When drugs are available in prison, you know you've pretty much lost the war on drugs. If marijuana is going to remain illegal then you'll have to ban alcohol, too. End the hypocrisy. Finally, an editorial I can support! The government, including the New Democrat and Liberal parties, will never legalize marijuana because there are too many people whose jobs depend on the outright ban on it. Think prison personnel, border guards, police officers! The Liberals are just pathetically trying to win over the young vote. It is hypocritical at best to legalize alcohol and not marijuana considering every argument against marijuana can be made, and often stronger, against alcohol. However, the Libs jumping on this bandwagon seems strange bedfellows indeed. I think it's a great idea. Just look at Holland (the Netherlands). They're doing just fine. There's more benefits to it than one would think. Oh, and legalizing prostitution should be next. (Again, refer to Holland for a case study.) No way. The government would already be classified as a "glorified drug dealer" with all the endorsements/scare tactics/influences from Big Pharma, so why have such a tainted view on something that is much safer than any pill on the market and is classified as a cash crop? The benefits of marijuana far exceed any benefit of drugs pushed by Big Pharma! (Not to mention tobacco and alcohol.) The government already controls liquor and cigarette sales and they are drugs, so what is the big deal? I am sure marijuana would be safer if it was regulated, and perhaps the government could use the money raised through taxation to help the homeless or another good cause. But then, that probably would never happen! Are they nuts? I will stop voting for them if that occurs. Don't they care about the children who could inhale this from neighbours or near schools? Have they gone mad? Interesting arguments all the way around. As for fiscal policy - the war on drugs has been a waste of time and money. As the saying goes, it is insane to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results. That being said, I am in favour of decriminalizing usage rather than legalizing. I do not think that it is right to send a person to prison for smoking a joint. However, it is right to send to jail the person who grows, harvests and sells pot to children. Perhaps this is an esoteric line to draw but to me there is a difference. As for the Liberals' new "position," this is nothing but a Barnum & Bailey stunt to get people talking and perhaps caring about what the Liberals are doing. It is a long way from a party-meeting platform statement to legislation. The Liberals are so far out of power that this topic is barely worth the cost of the print in today's paper. I will wait until they are at least the official Opposition before I buy any shares of the company that produces Doritos! :-) Nope! Where is the common sense here? - --- MAP posted-by: Matt