POT LAWS MAKE NO SENSE

Re: Time to end prohibition on pot: callers-- Aug. 9.

Whether Canadians/ Sudburians are mellowing to the idea of legalizing
marijuana or are simply tired of listening to government rhetoric as
marijuana becomes increasingly available, it makes little difference.
Canadians no longer want either the expense or the bother of the
intrusiveness of government regarding marijuana. Is it any wonder why?

For more than a few decades now, Canadian governments have prodded
and poked the issue of marijuana and its legislation. Ranging from a
two-year study and the recommendations of a special Senate committee,
which were ignored, to the matter of the Superior and Appellate
courts in Ontario having repeatedly declared Canada's marijuana laws
to be of no force and effect, to the ongoing anti-marijuana strategy
by the current federal government; the matter of marijuana has become
an incomprehensible entanglement of opposing standards that have
failed to adequately address the situation or concerns at hand.

Has the positing of marijuana in the Controlled Drugs and Substances
Act as a prohibited substance addressed the concerns surrounding
marijuana? No, those who are at risk -- namely, youth and communities
- -- are not being safeguarded. It would seem that if this threat of
marijuana were in fact legitimate as claimed, then the matter of
safeguarding youth and communities would be more intelligently
handled and in a manner that undermines those who posed the threat
(as opposed to enabling them.) This hasn't happened, nor by all
indication, will it happen.

Interestingly enough, a comprehensive study released April 27 by the
International Centre for Science in Drug Policy entitled, Effect of
Drug Law Enforcement on Drug-Related Violence: Evidence from a
Scientific Review exposes an extensive correlation between drug law
enforcement efforts and increased drug-related crime, homicide and
gun violence. The executive summary (found at http://www.icsdp.org/ &
http://www.icsdp.org/research/publications.aspx ) demonstrates
commonalities between violence and the illicit drug trade in relation
to the impacts drug law enforcement has, as intervention, on drug
market violence.

Wayne Phillips

Communication director, Educators For Sensible Drug Policy,

Hamilton