ENLIGHTENMENT NEEDED FOR THE MARIJUANA LAWS

The Canadian Senate produced a well thought out position paper on
cannabis in 2002 recommending, among other proposals, an easing of
restrictions on personal use by responsible adults.

Considering that the restrictions were originally imposed without
parliamentary debate, in an atmosphere poisoned by the "reefer
madness" propaganda of writers such as "Janey Canuck" (a pseudonym of
Emily Murphy who, in a more enlightened frame of mind, helped ensure
the rights of women as "persons" under the law with respect to the
right to vote), I think it's high time to implement some of these reforms.

In his fascinating book Food of the Gods, Terence McKenna recommends
that "The legality of nature must be recognized," favouring a return
to a model of partnership with the natural world, rather than one of
domination over it. Two excellent Canadian books on the subject are
Grow Yer Own Ston'e by Alexander Sumach (hard to find), and Romancing
Mary Jane by Michael Poole (no relation).

As to the suggestion that many people on the street began their
downward spiral with marijuana, I would ask whether most began their
descent with alcohol or tobacco. If we as a society can accommodate
the use of these two drugs, then cannabis should be recognized as well.

As the Rastafarians say, using the Indian term for marijuana, "God
made ganja. Man made liquor. Who are you going to trust?"

Ian Poole

Nanaimo