WHY ARE THEY BLIND TO FACTS ABOUT POT?

The World Drug Report 2011, published by the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime, shows that the rate of deaths where drugs were the
primary cause, per million of population aged between 15 and 64, was
16 times higher in the U.S. and eight times higher in Canada than it
was in Holland.

The U.S. approach to drug use is highly punitive, the Canadian
approach is somewhat less punitive, while the Dutch approach prefers
harm reduction.

Similarly, the percentage of the population (15 to 64) who use
cannabis annually is 13.7 per cent in the U.S., 12.6 per cent in
Canada, but only 5.4 per cent in Holland "" in spite of the fact that
Dutch citizens can openly enjoy cannabis in coffee shops.

While cannabis accounts for 70 per cent of all recorded drug offences,
cocaine is far more harmful, but in the U.S. 2.4 per cent take
cocaine, 1.4 per cent take it in Canada, and only 0.6 per cent take it
in Holland.

Report after report covering these facts have been presented to the
federal government, so why do they believe that incarcerating more
drug users and building more prisons to house them is going to help in
any way?

On the contrary, all the facts and the experience of the 1930s show
that it is bound to exacerbate the situation.

Why are Lunney (The News, Dec. 6), Harper, and their cronies so blind
to the facts?

Phil Copple

Qualicum Beach