PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE

Ald. Ric McIver opines that "making drug paraphernalia available to
young people is not serving any higher purpose in society." If this
were the criterion for criminalizing popular behaviour, most of the
things we enjoy would be illegal, including coffee, alcohol, tobacco
and 90% of television shows. Imagining that criminalizing cannabis
paraphernalia would reduce cannabis use makes about as much sense as
imagining that preventing someone from purchasing glasses would reduce
his alcohol consumption. Imagining the availability of paraphernalia
encourages cannabis use makes about as much sense as asserting that
the availability of glasses encourages alcohol consumption.

GEORGE KOSINSKI

(We'll drink to that.)