Viewpoint: MARIJUANA

Ridiculous laws real reefer madness

MORRIS DALLA COSTA
The London Free Press

The money used for catching and prosecuting pot smokers could be used
elsewhere.

Don't you feel safer when police bust someone for having a gram or two
of marijuana?

Don't you think it's a good investment when we spend hundreds of
thousands of dollars a year arresting those who grow and smoke a
little weed, as well as spending hundreds of thousands more dragging
them through the court system? Just think of how much safer the world
will be when we jail or heavily fine some poor sap who was caught
growing a dozen marijuana plants.

Talk about blowing smoke.

One day this society is going to wake up and realize that all the
time, money, judicial and enforcement resources used to battle the
dark forces of marijuana users and producers, is simply not worth it.

MUNDANE ISSUES: The idea a society can bring a Chris Clay to court
shows how fixated we've become on mundane issues which should have
been resolved years ago.

Clay is the owner of Hemp Nation, a London store specializing in hemp
products. In 1995 London police raided his store seizing marijuana
seeds and seedlings, charging him with possession of a narcotic,
possession of a narcotic for the purpose of trafficking and
cultivation of the narcotic cannabis sativa.

Last year police raided his home and found about a gram of marijuana.
No information on how much it cost and how much time was wasted to
confiscate that one gram.

Street value . . . not much. Clay's trial resumes Monday. There is a
lot of legalese involved. Included may be a constitutional challenge
by the defence that "a person cannot be imprisoned for any activities
that relate to personal consumption of marijuana or acts that
facilitate personal consumption, like small distribution." The
challenge will come if Clay is convicted.

There is also the question of the toxicity level of marijuana plants.

IT'S TIME: Cutting to the heart of the matter is not very difficult.
It's time personal use of marijuana be decriminalized. It's about time
the government realized they would save a tonne of money by not
prosecuting marijuana smokers or traffickers.

It's time the government realized it could make a lot of money by
collecting taxes on marijuana producers and smokers. What's most
important is the government throw away the movie it has been using to
educate itself on marijuana, Reefer Madness, and realize marijuana is
not as dangerous as alcohol or cigarettes.

Reefer Madness is a 1936 cult classic. In the movie a group of
individuals go stark raving mad as they toke a few joints. It's a
hilariously bad movie with spittlecovered highsociety folk puffing
on joints like steam engines, with eyes about to explode from their
deranged heads. All the while the marijuana causes them to become sex
fiends.

Unfortunately, too many people believe that's the way things really
are and have made decisions based on absolutely ridiculous notions.

In fact, it's difficult for people to picture a group of individuals,
puffing on a joint, sitting around listening to Jimmy Hendrix. That's
bad.

It's okay though to have a group of individuals filling their lungs
with tobacco, drinking a dozen beer or a bottle of rye and then going
out and acting stupid.

Maybe we should find out how many of those legislators have smoked the
big doobie and won't admit it? Chances are they didn't inhale.

Clay and his lawyer don't want this case to focus on the
decriminalization of marijuana.

"We're trying to revolutionize the manner in which cannabis plants are
tested for criminal cases to ensure that nobody will ever be convicted
or sent to jail for growing a plant that has no intoxicating
potential," said Alan Young, Clay's lawyer.

MANY CHEERING: But most believe if Clay wins this case, or a
subsequent appeal if he loses this case, it will provide fodder for
the move to decriminalize marijuana. Many are cheering for him.

There is little to indicate marijuana leads to use of harder drugs.
Many use marijuana to ease the pain and suffering from AIDS, cancer
and other diseases.

But all legislators see is Reefer Madness.

It makes no sense to lock people up for selling marijuana and smoking
it. Not only does it tie up the court system, if they are jailed for
any length of time, it prevents them from earning a living, looking
after a family and adds to the burden of the social safety net. All
for a little pot.

Now that's madness.
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To talk to London & Region columnist Morris Dalla Costa call 6674533.
Outside the London dialing area call 18002654105, ask for extension
4533. or Email mdallacosta@lfpress.com. Morris Dalla Costa's column
appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.