GOVERNMENT CREATED A SYSTEM BENEFITTING THE WORST ONE PERCENT

The disturbing trend by RCMP to arrest and detain people for marijuana
possession, trafficking and usage is irresponsible in this day and
age.

After numerous commissions, hundreds of thousands of hours of
governmental time consumed studying marijuana, the consensus in Canada
remains that marijuana should not be illegal and the denial of this
most natural and basic medicine is extreme to the point of undue hardship.

Our governments, past and present have failed all of the people of the
country. They have squandered vast resources studying this to death,
and still, after many commissions gave them a good enough if not well
studied answer, they flung those results out of the window of common
sense.

I find it truly sad that of all the silly things we could be picking
on, we are picking on people who have a disability. These people are
unwell, suffer immensely, and in the scope of things are being
punished for their choice of medicine.

Most recently, numerous Human Rights tribunals have examined these
similar situations and have resolved to agree that the issue of
addiction is really a disability, and as such, has not been treated as
one, but instead, has been treated as a crime, contrary to human rights law.

Why does the government allow for the sale of carcinogens on the open
market? Why does the government not ban chemicals and pesticides when
they know they cause cancer? Why does the government allow for raw
sewage to be pumped directly into the oceans?

Does anyone else think that they have their priorities
wrong?

It would seem that the government, instead of seeing marijuana
legalized, would prefer the method of people selling pot from their
homes and schools to people of all ages. No restrictions.

This unfettered cash bonanza for criminals contributes more to the
criminal underworld than any terrorist organization financing
mechanism that operates on earth. The marijuana trade is huge, beyond
the capacity of police to deal with and beyond the range of our government.

Our government, by the virtue of keeping pot illegal, has created a
system that finances the worst one per cent of the population.

Marijuana needs to be removed from this criminal paradigm, placed into
the hands of the provincial authorities, taxed and used as it was
meant to be used -- as a contributor to the well being of the state
through the cash injection of taxes.

Criminalizing addiction is a farce and our government knows this. One
must now wonder, why our government would prefer to see the criminals
profiteer, and the police budgets expand and bloat.

Bringing marijuana laws into the present out of the dark ages is
important and honourable. The poor folks running the compassion club
deserve a medal of honour for their work, and we can only hope that by
the time the case makes it to trial, there will be changes made.

Jim Bender is a member of the Marijuana Party of Canada and lives
in Woodstock, Ont.