CHAREST SUFFERING REEFER MADNESS

To the editor:

What a shame that Jean Charest is such a throwback to the dark ages of
reefer-madness. I feel doubly sorry for Quebecers. The only alternative to
the separatists is a party led by a myopic drug warrior.

Charest has said he is in favour of medicinal marijuana use, but that is
all. He said that going further would be imprudent.

Excuse me: I would say that giving black marketers a monopoly on a product
used by two million Canadians is imprudent. These are marketers, after all,
who sometimes use guns to settle their disputes.

Could it be that Charest is looking to gain votes from the public-service
unions that profit from marijuana prohibition? Along with lawyers and
judges, there are the police officers, court clerks, sheriffs and other
officials that all get there share of the "loot," wages derived from
prohibition. And in Quebec, they have supported the Parti Quebecois.

Marijuana prohibition was created in the U.S. to protect oil companies from
competition from cannabis and hemp.

Mr. Charest - like an ardent American Republican - can be counted on to
promote the holy trinity of guns, oil and drugs. I am sure Uncle Sam would
be proud of him.

Chuck Beyer

Victoria, B.C.