GIVE THE REAL GOODS ABOUT POT

Re: Youth Centre And Police Team Up For Drug Awareness The Herald
Weekend Edition, May 12.

I applaud anyone's effort to keep kids off of drugs, but many of
these programs have proven to cause more harm than good.

As a federal medical marijuana license holder, I resent some of the
non-factual information on marijuana, and the use is abuse attitude.

Adults have lost credibility when it comes to drugs, because they lie
and exaggerate the so-called "dangers" of marijuana. They tell kids
that marijuana is 10 times more potent than before, will cause
cancer, schizophrenia, impotence, permanent stupidity, and an
addiction to hard drugs. When kids discover the truth on their own,
they will realize they have been systematically lied to by people
they once trusted. They will likely conclude that if adults lied
about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and marijuana, they must be
lying about meth, crack, heroin, ecstasy, booze, weapons, extreme
sports, safe sex and safe driving, too.

We live in a culture that advertises booze, fast cars, fast food,
violent movies and video games, and drugs of all kinds on TV. Then we
tell kids "Say no to drugs." We give kids Ritalin, instead of just
reducing their sugar and Game-Boy intake, and then tell them
marijuana is dangerous. They see right though this hypocrisy.

For those keen on educating kids about drugs, without fear-mongering,
I recommend the Educators For Sensible Drug Policy website at www.efsdp.org.

Russell Barth,

Ottawa