MORE ON MARIJUANA

Will Webster ('War on pot is not working,' Dec. 16) misunderstands the
purpose of prohibition. Marijuana prohibition has never had anything
to do with public safety; it is all about control.

Prohibition gives police all the power they need to harass the poor,
the young, people of colour, and people with nonregulation haircuts.

Look at countries like the US, where the War On Certain Plants has
been filling jails to bursting. A handful of people are getting very
wealthy from this policy, and it has been a huge success.

Chris Ellis ('Prohibition of marijuana is stupid,' Jan. 13) is right
about prohibition being stupid, but the notion that anyone anywhere
could possibly go to jail for using or producing or selling any amount
of cannabis is absurd and insane. Junk food kills many times more
Canadians each year than all illegal drugs combined, and marijuana -
which has dozens of proven medical applications - is yet to kill a
single person in all of history. Pot should have no greater
restrictions than alcohol or tobacco: 19 and over.

As for things like sugar, caffeine, 'energy drinks' and fatty foods -
things that kill people in droves - they should also be classified 19
and over.

Russell Barth

Educators for Sensible Drug Policy Nepean, Ontario