Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 Source: Daily Press, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2014 Sun Media Contact: http://www.timminspress.com/letters Website: http://www.timminspress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1001 Author: Hugo Ferrari Page: A4 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n571/a11.html?1173 THE CASE AGAINST LEGALIZING DRUGS This letter is in response to Steve Lafleur's letter to the editor - The case to legalize soft drugs - published in the July 10 edition of The Daily Press. The article creatively tries to convince readers "issues of morality should not be legislated." In my opinion morality can and should be legislated. Let's take for example the fines police can give you if you don't use your seatbelt. One can say it is wrong for people to be forced to use a seatbelt because it only impacts the individual. It should be my choice to use the seatbelt, or not. I still think police should enforce the use of seatbelts because it saves lives. Society needs you alive. Now, to the harm reduction approach to drug policy. Assuming what the article is saying is correct, that drug gangs are going to have their ability to finance distribution of the worst drugs reduced, this comes at a higher cost. When something is legal it automatically means it is permissible. But we know, and I dare anyone to prove me wrong, that people use pot to get high. In other words, recreational smokers alter their perceptions and faculties of cognition and that affects their abilities to make good choices. The more recreational pot smokers, the less good choices society makes. One final comment, if you do smoke pot for recreational use, please grow your own plants. I don't want your dealer to convince you to use meth. Hugo Ferrari, Timmins - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom