THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON LEGALIZING POT

The following letters were received in response to The Sun's four
editorials about marijuana last week.

Recent editorials argued that harsh laws don't correlate with marijuana
usage. This might be true. However, having grown up in Sweden, where a
stunning 97 per cent of the people still are against decriminalization, I
can tell the issue has a lot to do with attitudes and social acceptability.

Sweden has a long tradition of alcohol abuse. But when lax attitudes
towards many other drugs took hold in the 1960 and 1970s, Swedes chose a
very different road.

A distinction was never made between some drugs being less harmful, or
"softer," than others. And, instead of just asking what harm the drugs did,
Swedes also asked how they improved society. Then, the attitude was made
very clear: We don't need any of them.

Smoking pot was simply never allowed to become socially acceptable anywhere
or any time. Its use remains minimal compared to Canada and the market for
criminal activity is not there.

In contrast, former Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien could make jokes
about trying marijuana once it becomes legal just to score some extra
"coolness" points. Just imagine how childish it would have sounded if this
old man had talked about taking up smoking tobacco instead?

Drug use starts with attitudes. It's too bad so little is done to change
them in Canada.

Mats Lundstrom

West Vancouver