DRIVE FOR LEGAL MARIJUANA HAS A FEW POTHOLES

If ever reality could be beaten back with a lot of imagination,
delegates at the Liberal Party policy convention being held next month
should be given credit for trying.

Reality: Marijuana is not a harmless or victimless indulgence and should
remain illegal. Selling blunts over the counter like they were chocolate
bars or firecrackers but with an age limit on the wrapper, probably isn't a
good idea. And despite what many have been led to believe, not all young
people are in favour of marijuana being legalized.

Nonetheless, a resolution to make marijuana lawful and to tax its
sales brought forth by the Alberta Liberals will be on the agenda at
the upcoming Liberal policy convention.

Parliament is already debating legislation to decriminalize marijuana,
but the proposal by the Alberta Liberals goes much farther. The
resolution would see marijuana sold over the counter, much like
cigarettes or alcohol, but with a sizable toke of the profits going to
the federal government.

According to the resolution, taxed marijuana sales would puff-puff and
give around $3 billion dollars in additional revenue to federal or
provincial coffers each year.

In addition to its potential to generate revenue, delegates have also
suggested that the legalization of marijuana would be "a serious blow
to drug dealers and organized crime financially." And of course, as
with any market in which a larger, more organized competitor arrives,
it certainly would.

No doubt the government will be a better drug dealer than say, the
Hells Angels. However, the fact that organized crime may be dealt a
blow through this proposal, or that the province and federal
governments may cash in on Canadians getting high, shouldn't be
anywhere near enough reason to substantiate the Alberta Liberals
proposal. As imaginative as it may be, reality refuses to be beaten
back.

The legalization of marijuana will inevitably result in its increased
use. What controls exist however, to protect the public from
marijuana's abuse? To what degree does smoking marijuana affect your
ability to drive or operate motor vehicles? If combined with alcohol
(as it often is) is your ability to think rationally compromised in
any special way? And most importantly, since driving under the
influence of a strong intoxicant is illegal, how do we detect whether
or not someone has "smoked" too much to be behind the wheel?

No effective method of testing for levels of marijuana impairment has
been developed, and unlike alcohol, where we've yet to even figure out
a legal limit for intoxication. Were it not for the fact that
marijuana impairs judgment and perception, people wouldn't smoke it.

The argument that motor functions, perception or work ethic, are not
affected by habitual marijuana use is absurd. Is it truly safe for
someone to be operating mechanical equipment while puffing away on a
dime bag?

The legalization of marijuana, like the legalization of alcohol, will
inevitably bring about its abuse. Before legalizing marijuana can be
seriously discussed, methods for protecting us from those abusing it
should be in place.

Clearly, there is an argument for marijuana's decriminalization and
legal use for medicinal purposes. Few of my generation, or any other,
seriously debate that.

It is important' however, that in our desire to be fair with marijuana
users, we don't lose sight of what marijuana essentially is -- a mind
altering drug -- or remove the stigma attached to its use without
fully considering the repercussions.

I am in favour of decriminalizing marijuana possession in small
amounts (teenagers don't deserve criminal records for getting high at
their parents' house) but adding another drug to our society's already
extensive roster of intoxicants is a proposal that should be met with
extraordinary scrutiny.