TOUGHER LAWS NOT THE ANSWER

In the wake of a tragedy, it is sad to see political agendas
overshadow level-headed thinking and constructive reflection.
Following the death of the four RCMP officers in Mayerthorpe,
opponents of marijuana decrimilization, including Alberta politicians
and police, have called on the federal government to cease and desist
its marijuana bill and toughen up laws on pot to prevent violence.

However, with proper, unemotional perspective it's obvious these
regrettable deaths had very little to do with the organized sale of
marijuana as the cop-killer, James Roszko, had roughly 20 plants in
his "grow op" -- not exactly a fortune in the drug trade. Roszko's
criminal history -- pedophilia, assault and weapons offences -- would
lead those without an agenda to the conclusion this was an act
committed out of a violent intent, not an intent to protect an
organized narcotic-based criminal enterprise.

Since marijuana became illegal under the Opium and Drug Act in 1923,
use has increased. Over the past 70-plus years, tougher laws and
larger anti-marijuana budgets have not curbed or even dented the use
of what the 2002 Canadian Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs deemed as
a "non-addictive" plant used by millions of Canadians. That's the same
publicly-funded, scientifically-based committee who concluded
"prohibition (of marijuana) poses a greater risk to human health than
marijuana use."

To make it clear, let us look at a simple reality.

The law of supply and demand dictates businessmen, legal or otherwise,
will supply a product to a market for a profit. Tougher laws increase
the value of marijuana by making what is essentially an easy-to-grow
plant scarce, driving up prices and profit. As the law will not
protect what is essentially a multi-billion-dollar industry, these
businessmen will protect their own interests with weapons and
violence. Seeing as history has proved demand is not going anywhere,
perhaps it is time to address supply.

The proposed law, known as the 2003 Cannibas Reform Bill, to
decrimilize the plant could allow users to grow their own marijuana
without fear of prosecution and, hence, take away the profit
incentive, remove the criminal element and eliminate the violence.
This is not a new idea, but it is an idea whose time has come.

If we give into rhetoric, we may end up like our neighbours to the
south, 51 per cent of whom (Gallup) believe Saddam Hussein was
personally responsible for 9/11.

Just because Americans are willing to accept thousands of innocent
deaths over misinformation, does that mean we have to?