DOPEY IDEA

Legalization Of Marijuana Would Do Nothing To Improve Society

No one could accuse a Senate committee recommending the legalization of
marijuana of sober second thought.

Indeed, its radical report released last week shows few signs of reflective
discretion. Over the course of 600 pages, the committee argues pot is safe,
should be available to 16-year-olds and distributed by the state.

Missing from the discussion is what should be the guiding principle behind
any reform of Canada's drug laws: Would the changes be to the social good?
On this, the report is unconvincing.

The committee proclaims the scientific evidence is overwhelming that
marijuana is not a health risk. But the Canadian Medical Association, the
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada and
the Alberta Lung Association disagree.

Arguments that marijuana is no worse than tobacco and alcohol are
ridiculous. Both are addictive. One causes cancer, the other liver disease.
Both are at the root of some of society's worst health problems. Surely,
public policy-makers should be setting the bar higher than this.

Comparisons with alcohol are also faulty. An adult can drink a glass of
wine without any effect. A few puffs of a joint and you get stoned.

Yet, the committee would have marijuana available to those as young as 16.
That means teens could toke up before they could legally buy cigarettes,
vote or have a drink. Where is the logic? Drug use, no matter how benign,
undermines drive, commitment and judgment. At an age when one is learning
how to be a productive member of society, the last thing needed is the wide
availability of a substance that works at odds to the goal.

The only point worth conceding is that legalization would free up stretched
policing and court resources for more serious matters. Canada spends more
than $700 million a year on drug enforcement and $57 million on
prosecution. More than 75 per cent is on cannabis-related charges. There
are more important crimes to fight.

Still, misplaced priorities can be addressed in a number of ways, including
decriminalization, which Justice Minister Martin Cauchon is already
considering.

Even if one accepts the argument that smoking marijuana isn't overly
harmful, it certainly isn't healthy. And no one is suggesting society would
be better off if more people smoked dope, which is what would result from
legalization. To us, that's the crux of the matter. Why would Canada want
to change its drug laws unless there was an expectation it would be an
improvement?

The Senate committee has simply not made the case to legalize marijuana.
The idea will almost certainly go up in smoke, as it deserves to.