LETTER OF THE WEEK

PROHIBITION MEANS NO CONTROL

By Mike Foster

The ecstasy overdose at WEM is another argument for the legalization
and regulation of all drugs. MDMA/ecstasy is relatively safe as a
party drug, if compared to alcohol. The problem, as the author
mentioned, is that it is cut with various chemicals. Prohibited
means all the quality control, production, ingredients and potency is
left to the criminal underworld. Prohibition means no
control. Imagine if you could go to the local government-licensed
alcohol shop, pick up a limited amount of clean ecstasy along with a
brochure on what to expect and how to prepare for a safe adventure,
showing your cards proving you're an adult, possibly with a sticker
or note that you've followed a seminar on how to use said drug. It's
way more than we do for alcohol, via our "all abstinence, no
education" classes taught to children in schools. Under such a
model: the drug would be clean, controlled, safe, limited to adults,
sold only in regulated areas, with education being a prominent
control mechanism. People interested in altering their consciences
will do so, and have done so, for many millennia. It's a bit
hypocritical for the substance of some to be regulated and
controlled, while others get jail time and massive profits for
criminals willing to supply the demand.

Mike Foster

(Common sense.)

Pubdate: Sun, 18 Oct 2009

Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n935/a09.html

Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk.