THE PROHIBITION OF POT

How the regulation of marijuana can prevent violence and crime

Marijuana legalization is a hot topic in today's society. Although
marijuana use is certainly not exclusive to student aged users, the debate of
its legalization (or even decriminalization) has a popular appeal to many
students. There are convincing arguments for both sides of the debate, and
one organization called LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) makes a
strong case for drug regulation. LEAP argues that prohibition is failing
and drug regulation is one way to help make the streets a little safer.
LEAP's mission statement is "to reduce the multitude of harms resulting from
fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease,
crime and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition." Basically, their
main issue is with the violence that drugs have brought into our communities.

The U.S policy that coined the title "War on Drugs" has been taken up in
Canada as well. The policy, according to LEAP, has failed. The war on
drugs has only resulted in more arrests for non-violent drug offences and
increased amounts of tax payer money going to the prosecution of these
arrests. A drug policy reform is needed to reduce crime rates and violence
and to undermine the wealth and power of huge drug dealers that thrive under
the prohibition system. In the end, LEAP, through their countless
presentations, seeks to "end prohibition and legalize all drugs - legalize so
we can control and regulate them."

This idea of policy reform has two main goals. One is to educate citizens
on the history of drug policy and the causes and effects of drug use itself.
There are countless advocates for both legalization and prohibition that
quote false facts or make baseless arguments. LEAP aims, through education,
to stop rumours and get the facts straight. Their second goal is to raise
respect for law enforcement that has diminished through their role in the
drug prohibition policy.

Because one of the main goals of LEAP is education, they have a large branch
that focuses on speaking at civic and educational events. They are a "tax
exempt, international, non-profit, educational entity based in the United
States." Their speakers' bureau employs knowledgeable and experienced
members of law enforcement who have seen and battled the effects of drug
prohibition. Because these speakers are either current or former law
enforcement agents they have credibility and notable opinions stemming from
their hands on experience with the war on drugs.

Recently, there was a LEAP seminar on the legalization of marijuana at Mount
Allison University. LEAP is just one organization that calls for the
legalization of drugs. It focuses on all illicit drugs, but the one that is
most relevant to a University population is by far marijuana. The speaker,
Alison Myrden, makes an extremely convincing argument for the legalization
and regulation of marijuana.

She stumbled upon it as medicine. She has a condition called Tic Dolloureux
which is an excruciating and constant stabbing pain in the face which is
associated with Multiple Sclerosis. Although she resisted at first,
marijuana has turned out to be the only drug that has improved her quality of
life. After popping pills and being forced to turn to drugs like morphine,
marijuana was a breath of fresh air. She was neither nauseous nor a zombie,
as with other drugs, yet her pain was reduced.

This was her gateway into the activist's world of marijuana. She discovered
things about marijuana she had never known. For example, certain strains of
marijuana helped her while others did not. Through her communication with
doctors all over the World, she learned about marijuana, including specific
information that is not readily available to those who need marijuana s
medication.

She believes in regulation first and foremost as a way to provide medicinal
usage. Not everyone has access to marijuana medicinally, however, and there
are those who desperately need it. As a result, these individuals are
forced to turn to a dangerous and expensive black market. By reaching into
this illegal world, everyone, the sick and the healthy, run the risk of
getting caught up in the violence, crime and danger of the black market.

What if, she proposes, all drugs were legal and regulated? What if the
government stopped the dangerous underworld of drugs through legalization?
What if medicinal marijuana were affordable to those who need it? On top of
this, regulation could bring up to three billion dollars per year into the
government.

Alison makes it clear though that the real issues are the human issues. She
realizes that there are people who over use, but there are also people who
abuse alcohol. Some on the side of anti-legalization argue that marijuana
is a gateway drug. But it is only through the black market that they are
exposed to other drugs. If regulated by the government, an age restriction
could be placed on buying drugs, just like cigarettes and alcohol. This
would keep drugs out of the hands of children until they have had enough
information to make their own choices. It would also reduce the number of
children who venture into the black market.

Why is pot such a hot topic? Because there is more publicity and activism
then ever before. Those who are fighting for legalization are making noise
and making it an important issue. As University students, we are the
future. Alison wants to make sure that we see the other side to drugs.
Marijuana has greatly increased the quality of Alison's life and she wants
this to be available to everyone who suffers as she does. Her arguments
force us to look at a different face of drug use, one which would no longer
be harmful in a regulated, affordable market.

If you are interested in the cause of marijuana legalization, there are many
things you can do. First of all, there are many scheduled protest marches
through the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
and Alison's own website. You can join these organizations and contribute
to them. LEAP and speakers like Alison are trying to make a safer,
regulated drug market a reality. They encourage you to look at this issue,
find out the facts and try to make the streets a little safer.

For more information:

LEAP's Website: http://www.leap.cc

Alison Myrden's Website: The Medical Marijuana Mission
http://www.themarijuanamission.com/

NORML - The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in
Canada: http://www.norml.ca/

Cannabis Culture: http://www.cannabisculture.com/