EVEN SENATE IS BEHIND LEGALIZATION OF POT

Liz Philp's apparent disdain for Marc Emery's Aug. 10 letter might be
warranted in her view, but should not lead her to conclude that pot causes
damage.

The news release, accompanying the Senate's recent 600-page report, carries
the title Senate Committee Recommends Legalization of Cannabis and starts
its second paragraph with, "Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates
that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol ..."

Chapter Six of the report concludes: "... cannabis itself is not a cause of
other drug use ..." "... cannabis itself is not a cause of delinquency and
crime; and "... cannabis is not a cause of violence."

If an individual acts politically to defend the interests of the oppressed,
and clearly medical users are being oppressed by the state given the above
words of our Senate, why does Ms. Philps find it such a stretch that an
activist/politician draws a parallel to his own work with that of others,
like Nelson Mandela, who have acted on behalf of oppressed minorities?

Kevin Bowen

Windsor