READER DISAGREES WITH 'MARIJUANA PROPAGANDA'

Dear Editor, RE: Daring To Support DARE Program

I applaud anyone's efforts to keep kids from using drugs, but as a
Federal Medical Marijuana Licence Holder who is also married to one,
I deeply resent the "all use is abuse" propaganda put forward by the
RCMP and DARE.

Adults have lost all credibility when it comes to all drugs, because
we have lied and exaggerated the so-called "dangers" of
marijuana. We tell kids that marijuana will cause cancer,
schizophrenia, impotence, permanent stupidity and an addiction to hard drugs.

When kids find the truth on their own (which is just a Google search
away), they will realize they have been systematically lied to by
people they once trusted. They will think; "Adults lied about Santa
Claus, the Easter Bunny and marijuana, so they must be lying about
meth, crack, booze, safe-sex and safe-driving, too."

And who can blame them?

We advertise booze, fast cars, fast food, violent movies and video
games and drugs of all kinds on TV, then tell kids "say no to drugs."
We give kids Ritalin, instead of reducing their sugar and Game-Boy
intake, and then tell kids "pot is dangerous!" They see right though
this hypocrisy.

Taking the marijuana business out of the hands of kids and criminals
and putting it into the hands of responsible adults is socially conservative.

Generating tax revenue from that industry is fiscally conservative,
and using that money to teach kids why they should avoid drugs is
morally conservative. By not legalizing and regulating marijuana
production and sales, we subsidize criminals, make pot easier for
kids to access than either tobacco or alcohol, waste valuable police
resources and billions of dollars annually, deprive ourselves of a
source of valuable medicine and miss out on $3 billion in annual tax revenue.

For those keen on educating kids about drugs without all the
fear-mongering, hyperbole, and hypocrisy of the standard "drug
education" programs, I recommend Educators For Sensible Drug Policy
website at www.efsdp.org.

Sincerely,

Russell Barth

Federal Medical Marijuana License Holder Ottawa