POT LEGALIZATION IS RIGHT! NO, IT'S WRONG! RIGHT! WRONG!

Editor, The News:

I read with disbelief the Aug. 26 column by Christopher Foulds
('Abbotsford lends hand to criminals'). It appears Foulds has spent a
great deal of time having coffee conversation with some of our more
colourful pro-marijuana activists.

This group has one aim - to legalize the dangerous, harmful drug that
is marijuana, which will make it more accessible to our youth. The
cash will roll in; it's all about money.

Foulds refers to the 1972 Le Dain Commission report. In 1972, the THC
content of marijuana was one per cent, a fraction of today's content
of between 20 and 33 per cent, numbers that would indicate this report
is now out-of-date.

It appears the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs report used
information supplied by the pro-marijuana activists.

Recently, there was an article in Readers Digest, outlining the fact
that Holland's liberal drug laws have increased the involvement of
criminal element in the distribution of all drugs. The use of
marijuana nearly tripled (to 44 per cent from 15 per cent) among
18-20-year-olds between 1984 and 1996.

Why should we be concerned about the use of a drug the pro-marijuana
lobby is trying to promote as almost a health-enhancing product?
Adults are responsible for their own behaviour, but what are they
saying to our youth? It's OK, that it will make their life more
interesting and enjoyable?

Following are a few facts published by the U.S. Office of National Drug
Control Policy: Smoked marijuana contains three to five times the tar and
carbon monoxide than comparable amounts of tobacco. Marijuana use as a
cause for emergency room visits has risen 176 per cent since 1994, and now
surpasses heroin. A roadside check of reckless drivers (not impaired by
alcohol) showed that 45 per cent tested positive for marijuana. Marijuana
abusers are four times more likely to report symptoms of depression and
have more suicidal thoughts than those who never used the drug. With all
the negative information available on marijuana, do we need another
dangerous drug? Do we care?

Eric Myrholm

Abbotsford