Tax revenue alone will overcome any reluctance from cash-strapped governments

The Harper government's response to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's plan to legalize marijuana has been predictably dismissive and partisan. Unfortunately for the government, public support for the young Liberal leader's plan is growing. Despite obvious reservations, is there a conservative case for the legalization of marijuana?

I'll admit, right off the bat, that as a non-smoker (and allergic) I find the prospect of more smoke in the air (marijuana or otherwise) appalling. And, clearly, like conventional cigarettes, there are serious health problems associated with pot. Increased pot use will create victims of vulnerable young people and undermine the health of the nation. It will also compound the problem of driver impairment; driving under the influence of drugs is no less hazardous than with alcohol.

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Editor:

The present debate on legalization of marijuana is important, interesting and was held about 100 years ago with regard to liquor; those in favour of wide-open liquor availability winning the fight. So what's the big deal now with marijuana?

There are those who would quibble and point out that alcohol causes thousands of alcohol-related deaths annually in North America; many of those killed being innocent and sober victims of the drinkers. These same quibblers would no doubt also point out that health problems related to alcohol abuse cost our health systems dearly and that the societal cost to families affected by an alcoholic member is incalculable.

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Marc Emery a powerful force for liberty in Canada

It's not often that I disagree with Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente, but her recent column on Marc Emery (Pot still fails the sniff test) triggered one of those rare occasions.

Unlike the "Prince of Pot", I don't use marijuana. I never have, and probably never will, even if it were to become legal for recreational use.

But then, I don't use alcohol either. Slowing down my brain just isn't my cup of tea.

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Can armageddon be far off, Prime Minister Stephen Harper must wonder today? The New York Times took the extraordinary position earlier this week of calling on the U.S. government to repeal the ban on marijuana. The Times said, "It took 13 years for the United States to come to its senses and end Prohibition, 13 years in which people kept drinking, otherwise law-abiding citizens became criminals and crime syndicates arose and flourished. It has been more than 40 years since Congress passed the current ban on marijuana, inflicting great harm on society just to prohibit a substance far less dangerous than alcohol. The federal government should repeal the ban on marijuana." Federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, who has called for a similar change in Canada, has his chest puffed out just a little bit more today.

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First off, let's get one thing straight: in the debate over immigration policy in the United States, people toss around phrases such as "illegal immigrants" or "undocumented immigrants."

You're not an immigrant unless you've legally entered a country. The Latin Americans crossing the Mexican-American border are, depending on the case, either economic migrants or refugees.

Also, the immigration discussion in the U.S. revolves around the issue of national identity. Few Americans, including right-wing Republicans, are opposed to people arriving from Asia, the Caribbean, or Europe, no matter their ethnicity or colour.

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When Cheech and Chong lit up the movie screens with their marijuana-fogged dialogue - "Hey man, how's my driving?" "I think we're parked, man" - they probably never imagined cannabis would become legal.

But today more than 20 states have authorized medical marijuana, while Colorado and Washington have legalized it for personal use.

So we say it's time to back up (carefully) and take a look at the health risks associated with recreational use (addressing medical use is for another column).

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Mayor stays silent on meeting with residents of Brows Lane

Charlottetown residents left shocked by last week's murder have banded together in wake of the tragedy to tackle the issues of drugs, safety and security in the city.

Residents living close to the scene of last weekend's murder at 182 Brows Lane, as well as the mayor, two city councillors and at least one MLA, met at an undisclosed location Sunday night to discuss the incident.

However, exactly what was discussed in the closed meeting is still unclear.

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Minister Defends His Record On Actions Taken To Address Addiction Epidemic

Less than 24 hours after 100 Islanders held a tearful rally for more addictions services, Health Minister Doug Currie faced questions about why he left $ 1 million unspent in his addictions and mental health budget last year.

Opposition MLA James Aylward asked Currie Wednesday how he would explain this unspent money to family members of addicted Islanders who shared their difficult and painful stories on the steps of Province House Wednesday evening.

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Premier Commits To Building Addictions Facility If Recommended By Mental Health And Addictions Officer

"People are dying - there's no treatment here for people that are suffering with mental illness and addiction," a mother told a crowd of supporters during a protest at Province House Tuesday.

Dianne Young organized the protest in an attempt to push lawmakers in P. E. I. into doing more to provide services for Islanders struggling with addictions.

Young's son, Lennon Waterman, is believed to have taken his own life in November as a result of an addiction to prescription drugs.

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The mother of a man believed to have taken his own life as a result of drug addiction will stage a protest Tuesday in the hopes of getting government to provide more services for addicted Islanders.

Dianne Young's son Lennon Waterman would have turned 30 on Monday. He has been missing since early November.

Young believes he took his own life by leaping into the cold North River. RCMP found his clothes on the North River causeway after receiving reports of a man on the causeway the night of Nov. 8, 2013.

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Editor: (Re: Wayne Young column -- Fine, decriminalize or legalize marijuana etc.).

There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and protecting children from drugs. Decriminalization acknowledges the social reality of marijuana and spares users lifelong criminal records. What's really needed is a legally regulated market with age controls. Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical.

As long as organized crime controls marijuana distribution, consumers will come into contact with sellers of hard drugs like cocaine, meth and heroin. Marijuana prohibition is a gateway drug policy. It makes no sense to waste tax dollars on failed marijuana policies that finance organized crime and facilitate the use of hard drugs.

Robert Sharpe, Policy Analyst,

Common Sense for Drug Policy,

Washington, D.C.

[end]

Ever since Liberal leader Justin Trudeau told students - and the national media - in Charlottetown he supports its legalization, marijuana has been dominating news headlines here.

In an interview with Huffington Post a few months later, Trudeau said he smoked marijuana several times, most recently three years ago after he was elected to the House of Commons.

Then everyone wanted to know what other MPs might have sampled the mood- altering drug that's currently illegal to use in Canada - other than for medicinal purposes.

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Investors Hope to Open by Fall

The P. E. I. BioCommons will soon get a new tenant after a local business owner confirmed plans to open a medical marijuana production facility in Charlottetown.

Edwin Jewell, owner of Jewell's Country Market in York, confirmed Monday he is one of 10 investors in the new operation that he hopes will be inspected and running by the fall.

Jewell said he was interested in the business because at the heart of the operation, it was about growing plants, which is something he has been doing for most of his life, and providing an alternative to some medications.

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Prince Edward Island RCMP have decided to take an international drug education program and tailor it to suit the needs of Island youth. The move makes a lot of sense because the one currently being offered in Island schools is based in the United States.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) is a comprehensive school-based drug prevention program taught by police officers to children at the Grade 5 level. The DARE officers partner with classroom teachers to build protective factors for children by providing information and social skills needed to live drug- and violence-free.

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The CEO of a company building a medical marijuana plant in Ontario is praising Charlottetown city council for paving the way for P. E. I.' s first production facility.

Bill Chaaban, CEO of Creative Edge Nutrition, said these facilities are state of the art and just as secure as the Pentagon.

Before they can be built, Health Canada says municipal approval is required as well as approval of the local police and fire departments.

"We are, essentially, building in our neck of the woods a supermax federal security prison," Chaaban said, noting the facility also carries a premium camera system, two-tier fencing and a level 10 vault that weighs 2.5 million pounds and is 4,000 square feet in size.

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SUMMERSIDE - An RCMP program on drug abuse education in Island schools will continue.

RCMP Sgt. Andrew Blackadar, media relations officer for L Division, said the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program is being looked at to see if an alternative can be developed for Island schools.

"We're re-evaluating the DARE program," he said. "We will be, at some point, replacing it with some other drug awareness program."

Blackadar said DARE is not an RCMP program and actually comes from the United States.

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Council agrees to amend zoning and development bylaw

City council in Charlottetown has paved the way for the province's first medical marijuana production facility.

By a vote of 8-2 at Monday night's regular public monthly meeting, council has agreed to amend the city's zoning and development bylaw by adding the definition for medical marijuana production facility.

Couns. Mitchell Tweel and Danny Redmond were the two naysayers.

Council is also restricting where such a facility can be built. Those areas include the West Royalty Industrial Park, some light industrial areas located north of the city's bypass highway and the bio-commons park, although the city would likely have to amend its development agreement with the latter before going ahead.

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Editor:

After reading Dr. W. G. Tucker's Letter to the Editor it reminds me that a lot people still believe in what was portrayed in the movie Reefer Madness, that cannabis, unfortunately known better as marijuana, is still the "devil's drug."

I am glad Dr. Tucker is no longer practising oncology and that hopefully someone more educated on the medical benefits of cannabis took his place. He states that "marijuana has no place in the medical care of patients and is a dangerous drug," as if the thousands of prescriptions he wrote for his patients during his 40 years of practice were good for them. He also states that marijuana use results in a marked increase in lung cancer. Alcohol, cigarettes and sugar just to name a very few are carcinogens, all perfectly legal and none have the medical benefits that the cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant provide.

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Editor:

Marijuana exists in our communities, and will continue to make its way into the hands of adults and youth. Drug dealers are not at the scrutiny of the sovereign hand. Meaning they will not discriminate against the age of their customers.

It is time to build the chicken coop with the appropriate materials, keeping the young chicks safe. This will bring organization to the "farm," keeping the fox outside with the straw man.

Steven Clements, Montague

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Operation Clean Sweep Makes Dent; Alarming Numbers Cause for Concern

As Islanders awoke early Thursday morning they were greeted with the startling news that an enormous drug sweep was underway throughout Charlottetown. Early reports indicated that upwards of 40 people were facing arrest on drug related charges as more than 15 residences and properties were being searched.

The first reaction was why would police be tipping off suspects so they could escape or destroy evidence? It soon became apparent that by the time the news went public, most of the key police work was done. Officers were busy for several hours beforehand and had alerted the media to allay any fears for people seeing scores of officers and emergency vehicles swarming throughout the city.

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