ABSURDITY OF IMMENSE PROPORTIONS

Re: "Protect youth from dangerous marijuana, Aug. 20."

Eric Myrholm parades the Institute for Social Research ( ISR ) stats
on "smoking" without any regard that smoking can be avoided by either
using a vaporizer or preparing cannabis as an edible.

Myrholm then convolutes the matter even further by suggesting Canada
should follow our neighbours to the south even though he neglects the
fact American cannabis policy has been constantly under revision since
the '70s. Even so, his neglecting to mention that America has the
highest incarceration rates for cannabis in the world only highlights
his need to cherry-pick fact to make an argument that doesn't hold
water to begin with.

His suggestion of a way to control criminal drug activity, "for
Canadians to stop buying drugs," aside for being an absurdity of
immense proportions in terms of practicality, decidedly attempts to
side-step the fact that the ad hoc inclusion of cannabis in the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is the very legislative platform
which fuels criminality and the illicit drug trade.

Has that inclusion (of cannabis in the CDSA) circumvented the violence
associated with the illicit drug trade? Hardly. In fact, a study
released April 27, 2010 by the International Centre for Science in
Drug Policy exposed an extensive correlation between drug law
enforcement efforts and increased drug-related crime, homicide and gun
violence.

Myrholm ignores the fact that the government of Canada has not
criminalized tobacco and it still collects hefty revenues from a
product with known health complications.

Where is his concern about this?

The reality is that criminalizing cannabis to safeguard youth is akin
to using youth as a shield each and every time a drive-by shooting
occurs; both place youth in the line of fire and only regulation under
the auspices of government oversight will provide the framework
necessary to safeguard youth.

Wayne Phillips

Communication director

Educators For Sensible Drug Policy