ARTICLE GEARED TO JUSTIFY CONTINUED CANNABIS BAN

Re: Journal articles link marijuana to schizophrenia (SP, Aug., 28).
Over the past decades, we have been told a number of lies about
cannabis that continued to justify its prohibition.

We were told its quality of pure evil would make black men look twice
at white women and drive young, middle-class students to madness.
More recently we have been subjected to such nonsense as the idea
that cannabis will cause cancer, laziness and a diminished IQ.

Seeing as these lies have been exposed, it is somewhat understandable
that some of us are not so ready to take at face value a link between
cannabis and schizophrenia.

Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that a goodly portion of
society is thus endangered. Why is it that people must be forced to
regulate their personal choices?

Why is it that we can tell someone that cannabis is banned because
there is a slight risk he will develop a mental illness, but we
cannot tell someone that skydiving is banned because there is a
slight risk he could end up remodelling someone's back yard? Freedom
of choice, that's why.

Certainly this information should shape cannabis policy, but the
outlandish feeling I get from the article is that its findings should
be used to continue to justify the illegality of cannabis.

Cannabis distribution and production cannot be stopped but it can be
regulated. Why we continue to deny ourselves this option and continue
to provide lifeblood to organized criminal enterprise is beyond me.

Ethan Erkiletian

President

Sask. Marijuana Party