Pubdate: Thu, 05 Jan 2017
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2017 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/send_a_letter
Website: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n727/a09.html
Author: James Teller
Page: A6

THOUGHTS ON POT

Some facts that bear on legalizing marijuana are important to
consider.

Everyone agrees smoking cigarettes is bad for your health and causes
many deaths each year even when the smoke is second-hand. We have laws
restricting cigarette smoking, and cigarette packages warn us of the
dangers. Why add another smoking risk?

Statistics in Washington state show a twofold increase in highway
deaths related to marijuana, and they now make up 17 per cent of the
total, so why pass legislation in Canada that will increase deaths? To
put this another way: if we could reduce highway deaths by five to 10
per cent (by prohibiting marijuana use), wouldn't this be good?

A recent poll in Manitoba showed 25 per cent of people would try
marijuana if it were made legal. Presumably, this will result in more
highway Winnipeg deaths and poorer health.

Nearly every study shows marijuana is the "gateway" to addiction to
other drugs, so its use encourages the abuse of other detrimental
drugs. We don't need more "gateways" that may ruin people's lives.

Currently, there are no ways to identify an acceptable level of
marijuana in the human body, so we cannot enforce laws related to
impairment by marijuana while driving. So, for some, there will be no
inhibitions to using marijuana and driving, as there is with alcohol.

If doctors can already prescribe marijuana for medical reasons, why do
we need legislation for "legal marijuana"?

Other than the temptation for governments to take in more money, what
is the benefit of making marijuana legal? Yes, lots of things are (or
might be) lots of fun, such as speeding at 140 km/h, and there are all
sorts of things you could do that might make you "happy," but we have
passed laws limiting many of these things. The argument that some
"bad" things are not illegal (such as alcohol) is hardly a reason to
add more "bad" things to the legal list.

James Teller

Winnipeg
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