Pubdate: Thu, 15 Dec 2016 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2016 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Author: J. Richard Wright Page: A10 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n701/a08.html BE CAUTIOUS ON MARIJUANA LEGISLATION Re: A smart way forward, Editorial Dec. 14 So the government's panel of "experts" has recommended both the legalization of recreational marijuana and to allow 18-year-old young people, whose brains and general physiology are still developing, to buy and use it. One might wonder why a government, supposedly concerned with the well-being of its citizens, would encourage them to engage in taking a mind-altering drug (and legalization will certainly be seen as a stamp of approval) against the advice of many in the medical establishment. Or when few would argue that one of the stellar culprits for violence, poverty, broken homes, automotive accidents and general mayhem is another mindaltering drug: alcohol. It's a mystery, all right. Or maybe not. Perhaps it's to ease the minds of our youth over the fact they aren't able to find jobs paying livable wages despite their rising levels of education. Or to ease their worries over the obscenity of rising house prices, meaning they will probably never outright own their home. Or so they will forget that for the first time in many decades, their standard of living will be much lower than their parents. Or could it simply be a solution to replace the loss of cigarette taxes as fewer and fewer Canadians smoke? So little time, so many postulates. Well, not to worry. We will all soon be able to take a toke and mellow out and forget the challenges, the problems and the realities of life. At least until we come down from our high. J. Richard Wright, Niagara-on-the-Lake - --- MAP posted-by: Matt