CRYSTAL METH MYTH?

Editor:

Gaeil Farrar does a good job of passing along state propaganda in the
"It's 'pure poison' article ("Crystal meth: The Challenge for the
community," Tribune, September 29). Gaeil ought to give some thought
as to the notion of the police as "educators." Is there not a
pharmacologist in Williams Lake?

To put the matter into perspective, "poison in the hands of a wise man
is medicine. Medicine in the hands of a fool is poison," said Casanova.

"Dangerous drug" is a political designation. In fact, what is and is
not a food or a drug is politically decided. Science and the periodic
table evidence are ignored. In short, The Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act is a political demonization scale that has nothing to
do with medicine or science and everything to do with scapegoating
self-medicating. The results are Canadians have more control over cat
food than we do substances.

Gaeil ought to consult an anthropologist to ask about the "whys" of
ceremonial and ritual substance use if educating the public had
anything to do with journalism.

Because demonizations that were passed off as journalism with anecdote
and no scientific evidence serves our political masters but it cheat
the people. First off, kids know that the newspapers are full of lies.
I knew they lied about cannabis 40 years ago and kept the lies up for
40 years.

Kids today use an invention called the internet to get a truthful
account of drug use from their peers around the world. Those were the
same people I trusted back then too.

There is nothing new about crystal meth other than the demonizations.
Methamphetamine hydrochloride is sold as Desoxyn to children for
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and to adults for obesity at
the pharmacy.

The kids can read one dissenting opinion on the internet and all your
demonizations will be for naught. You sure will scare the hell out of
parents but lies will not deter children.

Have you never read the Parable of The Fall? The forbidden fruit
always tastes sweeter. The lesson to authority in the parable is not
to lie to children, their innocence allows them to see through the
lie. It is the serpent who tells the truth in the parable.

Think about all that even if it blows your mind! The truth shall
set you free. It won't win you any friends down at the police
department, but your readers will appreciate it.

Chris Buors,

President, Manitoba Marijuana Party,

Winnipeg Manitoba