TEENS KNOW MARIJUANA IS SAFER TO USE THAN ALCOHOL

Re: Teens prefer marijuana to heavy drinking, survey shows, OCT. 7.

I suspect one of the main reasons that marijuana is now more popular
than tobacco and alcohol is that dealers don't ask for ID cards for
proof of age. Teens can buy marijuana, usually from other teens, in
playgrounds and schoolyards.

The same was true of alcohol during Prohibition. Once alcohol
prohibition was repealed and regulation was implemented, the problems
were reduced. If youths still get their hands on alcohol and tobacco,
it is the fault of adults, not the youths.

Another reason is that youths have not been told the truth about
marijuana. They are told that pot is extremely dangerous, but the
science to support those claims is just not solid.

They hear that the government might decriminalize possession of
cannabis because of its general acceptance in society. And they see a
few people being issued federal exemption licences to possess cannabis
to ease medical conditions of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and chronic
pain. They realize that cannabis is not the dangerous narcotic that
adults say, but may be just a medicinal herb.

The way to reduce marijuana use among youth is to legalize and
regulate its use by age. Then users will need valid ID to acquire it,
just as with alcohol and tobacco.

To reduce harm, we need to have a sensible drug-regulation policy, not
propagandist programs of abstention and "Just Say No" messages. We
need to tell youths honestly what the pros and cons of drug use are,
and how to use drugs responsibly. Not only would this reduce use and
abuse, but in the long run it would save a lot of money and lives.

Russell Barth,

Ottawa