BAD POT LAW HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF

To the editor:

Re: "Da Kine caf, an international cause," Sept 22.

Your article reported on the support for the petition urging Vancouver
city council not to shut down the Da Kine cafe.

The Da Kine cafe's open sale of marijuana is illegal. This has brought
demands that the police enforce the law and that council terminate its
business licence. However, enforcement of bad laws creates problems.

Other bad laws were enforced at one time, but that enforcement is now
seen as unjust and destructive. Homosexuality and the sale of birth
control products were both illegal in Canada until 1969. This was long
after Canadians' attitudes had changed. While selling condoms was
still illegal, no reasonable person demanded police raids on
pharmacies or putting them out of business. The history of the
enforcement of anti-homosexuality laws is now viewed with shame and
anger.

Wine, not pot, is my drug of choice. It, too, was once illegal and
subject to overzealous enforcement with what we now recognize were
disastrous consequences.

So let's stop enforcing discredited anti-marijuana laws until
politicians have the courage to follow the wishes of most Canadians
and make its sale and consumption legal.

Ron Peterson,

Vancouver