War On Drugs Not Justifiable

[SmokeWeed]

I enjoyed the "DARE does a disservice to kids" letter in theAug. 8 issue and wanted to add to that letter.All of his statements, sadly, were true.The drug war and the hysteria it has created has caused us to act like fools.The information used to make pot illegal is laughable today.It was laughable at the time as well but people were not as well educated then and didn't dare question the government or police. For all of the hype about pot, *******, ******, crystal meth and any other new drug du jour that arrives, let us not forget that the number one killer drug is alcohol.Alcohol is what is known as a "hard" drug as it can kill you.You can overdose on alcohol and die same as you can on ******.Pot is a "soft" drug because no matter how much you smoke or ingest it won't kill you. All drug deaths related to all illegal drugs are a tiny drop in the bucket in comparison to the death and destruction caused by legal alcohol.

So why do we call some drug dealers pushers, dealers, cockroaches and other drug dealers government officials, liquor store employeesor cold beer and wine store clerks?Why is it okay for the government, alcohol and tobacco companies to make money off of drugs but not okay for others? Considering the government's failed attempt to grow decent marijuana, I would guess that they fear the competition.

People have used drugs since time began for enjoyment with the majority suffering no ill effects. If a drug is truly harmful then educate the citizens about it.The lies that have been told over the past century in the effort to keep marijuana illegal has led to people generally ignoring what the police and governments have to say about drugs. Drug use is a health issue and should be dealt with accordingly.We are long overdue for some sorely needed logic and common sense to enter the drug war.

The criminalization of marijuana occurred in the U.S. as a way to discriminate against the black population.Canada quickly followed suit as, same as today, the government had no backbone when it came to standing up to the Americans.We also had our own little racial problem going on.The rail-road was finished and the hard-working, underpaid Chinese were in the way. The white men protested and the government made opium illegal.Marijuana was added to that list of prohibited drugs with no debate and no valid reason.Police and government have told out-right lies to make it illegal and many still do to this day.Today not many people would believe the government-sponsored cult film of the 1930s called 'Reefer Madness' yet those falsehoods are quite often used as justification for keeping marijuana illegal.

The drug war and the industry of jails, police, drug testing and mandatory minimum sentencing that is has spawned is a multi-billion-dollar business in the U.S. as well as a disgrace to a country that prides itself on freedom. Just imagine what could be done if that money was spent on something useful instead of being wasted on big business and the police state?Canadians moan about the cost of the ill-fated gun registry and rightfully so yet many ignore the fact that we waste the equivalent amount of money per year on the drug war.

The Senate Committee on the Legalization of Marijuana recommended outright legalization of pot.After listening to Canadians all across the country and looking at the evidence they realized that the drug war is a dismal failure.It is prohibition itself that causes 95 per cent of the problems associated with any illegal drug as well as provides money to criminal organizations.This is something we all learned in high school when we read about alcohol prohibition.It didn't work then and it certainly isn't working now.B.C. marijuana was practically worthless until the U.S. stepped up the war on drugs in the early '80s. The Senate Committee realized that legalization was a bold move but they felt that Canadians had the intelligence to accept such a debate.I fear that the Senate Committee grossly overestimated the intelligence of our elected officials.

There are only two reasons that our government would continue the drug war in its current form.One is ignorance. The other is stupidity. Having a Reform/Alliance/Conservative/What name are we this election government that puppets the U.S. Republican Party does not give me much confidence in the future of my country.

Newshawk: *********** - 420 Magazine
Source: Ladysmith-Chemanius Chronicle (CN BC)
Pubdate: Tue, 05 Sep 2006
Author: Lynne Williams
Copyright: 2006 BC Newspaper Group & New Media
Contact: lcedit@vinewsgroup.com
Website: Ladysmith Chronicle