MARIJUANA IS AS BAD AS TOBACCO

A major issue has been ignored in the marijuana debate: the question of
health and safety.

Forty years ago, I quit smoking after 10 years of puffing and vowed never
to let even one more drag of nicotine pass my lips. The reason I quit? I
didn't like what it did to my mouth, throat and lungs. Medical science
backs me up on that point.

Twenty-seven years ago, I tried marijuana -- twice. The experience
convinced me of one thing: Marijuana smoking irritated my mouth, throat and
lungs far more than cigarette smoking ever did.

We appear to be on the verge of legalizing, nay, encouraging, a habit that
has the potential of igniting a future, divisive fire-storm of social
censure and regulation over smoking -- cannabis this time, not tobacco. As
a society, we are striving to stamp out the unhealthy tobacco habit now
that we recognize its dangers. Are we to replace it with an equally
physically unhealthy marijuana habit? From my own limited experience, the
physical effects of smoking marijuana are as bad as, and probably worse
than, smoking tobacco. The point is, though, we do not really know.

Shouldn't we find out before unleashing the marijuana genie to replace the
tobacco genie that we are having the devil's own time trying to force back
into its lamp? Where is medical science on this issue?

A Citizen editorial suggested recently that it was unjust for Canadians not
"to be able to smoke marijuana without interference from the law." Doesn't
it follow, therefore, that it is unjust that Canadians cannot smoke tobacco
without interference from the law? Society has clearly deemed that it
doesn't. Why is marijuana different?

Gerard Kenney,

Ottawa