SMOKING MARIJUANA LESS HARMFUL THAN OTHER ACTIVITIES

The Editor,

Re: "Thanks, bud, for B.C.'s shame," the Now letters, Aug. 9.

Tracy Hanusiak's rather hysterical letter typifies the sort of mindless
opposition to freedom and tolerance that anti-cannabis activists are
becoming famous for. I wonder if Ms. Hanusiak thinks that the government
ought to prohibit alcohol (much more dangerous than cannabis), tobacco
(more dangerous), snowboarding (more dangerous - people die and get hurt
every year) and a whole host of other activities. Or is her passion for
prohibition confined solely to cannabis?

In a free society, adult citizens get to choose what to do with their
bodies so long as they don't hurt others. Cannabis smoking, which does pose
some potential harm to the user (but not, as Ms. Hanusiak alleges, death of
brain cells), is not harmful to others. There are no valid reasons to
prohibit its consumption by adults. Every major study concludes that
personal use should not be a crime. Moreover, if she really wants cannabis
to no longer be the province's number one cash crop, she should be railing
against prohibition. Prohibition creates black markets and, thus, massive
profits.

By the way, jumping off a bridge is not fun. Smoking cannabis, on the other
hand, can be a whole lot of fun. Maybe Ms. Hanusiak should give it a try
sometime (the cannabis, not the bridge).

Kirk Tousaw, Vancouver