WHY BOTHER?

We have long supported legalizing marijuana, as the very notion that the
"state" -- and the many nannies within who insist on sticking their noses
into other people's business -- has a right to tell adults what they can
and can't do to their own bodies is an intrusion into a sphere where the
"state" has no business to venture.

At the same time, we would concede that regulation of the use of such
substances, that is, having rules that disallow driving while "stoned" or
making an age distinction between adults and kids to determine legal access
(as we have now with booze) is perfectly reasonable. We would point out
what would also be reasonable is that the federal government not be
collectively "stoned" when drafting related legislation.

We wonder if the federal government had puffed a little too much when the
new proposed pot laws in this country were introduced this week. There is
no other way to explain how the government could have fumbled this issue to
the extent they have.

The feds appear to be going in 12 different directions at once, trying to
satisfy everyone, without satisfying anyone.

The police lobby is up in arms and the cocktail sippers who pontificate on
the evils of "drugs" are up in arms. But so too are the potheads and those
who claim pot is medicine. Now that is some trick.

So in an effort to help our federal government out of this straightjacket
here's a prescription for a sane national policy on pot. We ask that
Victoria MP David Anderson have his people here in Victoria clip this
editorial and forward it to him in Ottawa, so he can share the suggestion
with the powers that be.

1. Make marijuana legal. Yes, completely legal.

2. Declare that driving while under the influence of marijuana is to be
treated the same as driving under the influence of alcohol. Zero tolerance,
just as it should be for booze and a steering wheel.

3. Make the age to legally purchase marijuana the same as the legal age to
purchase booze in each province. Now try again.