MARIJUANA REFORM BLOCKED BY IDEOLOGY

The dismal failure of the decades-old, expensive, utterly useless war
on drugs has been clearly highlighted in uncountable studies, reports
and recommendations.

The primary reason more realistic laws and policies have not been
implemented is that drugs of any kind (except the legal drugs of
alcohol and tobacco, despite their devastating effect on health and
safety) so offend the morality of the more conservative segment of
the population that any talk of legalization raises fierce hackles and fury.

Pragmatic arguments and proof of the ineffectiveness of current
policies will not sway those who see any drug as a vice, a sin and
proof of moral debasement. Unfortunately, many of our lawmakers and
politicians are from that conservative element and vigorously oppose
any changes that would ease the laws on marijuana.

While on a visit to my home country, Norway, a prominent politician
had this to say: "If alcohol and marijuana had been introduced into
society at the same time, there is no doubt which of them would have
been declared illegal."

Solveig K. Nordwall,

View Royal.