WHAT WITH THE GOINGS-ON, WE NEED THE WEED

People who are criticizing the federal government's plans to soften the
penalties for possession of marijuana aren't looking at things properly
because if they were, they'd realize it was the right thing to do.

If you're caught with pot, the changes mean you'll only face a fine and not
a criminal record.

"Hey, aren't alcohol and cigarettes at the centre of the most preventable
health care diseases? Wouldn't adding smoking pot only make that problem
much worse?" you might ask, adding "And isn't decriminalizing possession of
the equivalent of 15 joints of pot while still maintaining the
criminalization of growing and trafficking sending mixed and confusing
messages to the public?" you might ask.

Certainly, but that's the point of why we need to decriminalize use. Look
at the big picture.

The Prime Minister has forced ratification of the Kyoto Accord, making
Canada the only North American country that did it. The US didn't and the
rest didn't have to. It won't do anything to reduce greenhouse gases but it
will be a Chretien legacy.

There appears to be little or no progress on the part of authorities in the
investigation into the PM's involvement in a loan deal to a resort in his
riding. We do, however, have a billion dollar gun registry that punishes
law-abiding gun owners and farmers are jailed for selling their own wheat.

Half our income goes to taxes.

We put absolute faith in the United Nations to deal with Iraq, when it has
demonstrated for more than a decade that it didn't have the political will
to do so. When it comes to backing our closest ally, we call their leader a
moron and then we mutter how we hate those bastard Americans. And then we
wonder why George Bush cancels a trip to Ottawa.

Then the PM does his best Mohammed Saeed impersonation, saying, just as the
White House is confirming the visit has been cancelled, that the visit has
not been cancelled and all is well.

There's the federal leadership race. The front runner, Paul Martin, says
he'll lead a different style of government but so far he's turned his back
on every opportunity to put his money where his mouth is. He could have
rallied his government MP supporters and defeated a government money bill,
forcing a non-confidence issue and a subsequent early election. Martin
could have shortened Chretien's 18 month deadline quickly but nothing.
Martin will lead exactly the same kind of government Chretien is leading
now. Everyone knows it and yet we'll still elect a Liberal government next
year. How agravating is that?

You're blood should be boiling now, your frustration should be at critical
levels. You need to relax, a joint would be great now. So you see, the
government needs to decriminalize the possession of pot because we need it
to help us cope with one of the most frustrating times in Canadian history.

And if it keeps up, they should not only make pot use legal, they should
make it mandatory.