LEGAL POT: POLITICAL STUNT OR IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME?

Every weekday morning, the members of The Gazette's editorial board
meet to discuss issues of the day and in particular what topics to
consider for the next day's editorial. On Tuesday, in the wake of the
federal Liberal Party voting at its convention in Ottawa on the
weekend to call for the legalization of marijuana, one of us suggested
an editorial also endorsing pot legalization. The subsequent debate
was a long and spirited one, and it will continue. In the meantime, on
The Gazette's Facebook page (facebook.com/montrealgazette), we asked
readers whether they think there should be a Gazette editorial
endorsing legalization. Here are some responses:

I don't use it myself but yes, it should be legalized. Regulate and
tax it as we do alcohol. When drugs are available in prison, you know
you've pretty much lost the war on drugs. If marijuana is going to
remain illegal then you'll have to ban alcohol, too. End the
hypocrisy.

Finally, an editorial I can support!

The government, including the New Democrat and Liberal parties, will
never legalize marijuana because there are too many people whose jobs
depend on the outright ban on it. Think prison personnel, border
guards, police officers! The Liberals are just pathetically trying to
win over the young vote.

It is hypocritical at best to legalize alcohol and not marijuana
considering every argument against marijuana can be made, and often
stronger, against alcohol. However, the Libs jumping on this bandwagon
seems strange bedfellows indeed.

I think it's a great idea. Just look at Holland (the Netherlands).
They're doing just fine. There's more benefits to it than one would
think. Oh, and legalizing prostitution should be next. (Again, refer
to Holland for a case study.)

No way.

The government would already be classified as a "glorified drug
dealer" with all the endorsements/scare tactics/influences from Big
Pharma, so why have such a tainted view on something that is much
safer than any pill on the market and is classified as a cash crop?
The benefits of marijuana far exceed any benefit of drugs pushed by
Big Pharma! (Not to mention tobacco and alcohol.)

The government already controls liquor and cigarette sales and they
are drugs, so what is the big deal? I am sure marijuana would be safer
if it was regulated, and perhaps the government could use the money
raised through taxation to help the homeless or another good cause.
But then, that probably would never happen!

Are they nuts? I will stop voting for them if that occurs. Don't they
care about the children who could inhale this from neighbours or near
schools? Have they gone mad?

Interesting arguments all the way around. As for fiscal policy - the
war on drugs has been a waste of time and money. As the saying goes,
it is insane to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect
different results. That being said, I am in favour of decriminalizing
usage rather than legalizing. I do not think that it is right to send
a person to prison for smoking a joint. However, it is right to send
to jail the person who grows, harvests and sells pot to children.
Perhaps this is an esoteric line to draw but to me there is a
difference. As for the Liberals' new "position," this is nothing but a
Barnum & Bailey stunt to get people talking and perhaps caring about
what the Liberals are doing. It is a long way from a party-meeting
platform statement to legislation. The Liberals are so far out of
power that this topic is barely worth the cost of the print in today's
paper. I will wait until they are at least the official Opposition
before I buy any shares of the company that produces Doritos! :-)

Nope! Where is the common sense here?