News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: PUB LTE: Marijuana - US Drug Policy Embarrassing |
| Title: | CN BC: PUB LTE: Marijuana - US Drug Policy Embarrassing |
| Published On: | 2003-01-03 |
| Source: | Langley Advance (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-21 15:47:50 |
MARIJUANA: U.S. DRUG POLICY EMBARRASSING
Dear Editor,
Young adults make their own choices, and we all want to help them make the
right ones.
But what if, despite your best child rearing efforts, you learn that your
18-year-old daughter has been arrested for marijuana possession? What if
she has been using it frequently, or discreetly selling it to consenting
friends and acquaintances for pocket money and social status? No harm was
intended, and the activity was welcomed by her peers.
What would you consider most helpful: counselling, a fine, prison, a
criminal record, or no punishment at all?
Under current laws, a criminal record would be likely. But that would not
help her achieve a drug-free lifestyle.
She would be better served by the sort of counseling commonly used to help
alcoholics.
In her case, and in general, a criminal record will cause more harm than
good. That is one good reason why Canada should decriminalize marijuana.
President Bush's administration argues that decriminalization in Canada
will increase the flow of Canadian marijuana into the USA. But our current
marijuana laws are already largely ignored, so why would relaxing them
result in any change in the amount of marijuana available?
What must really concern Bush is that, if our experiment with
decriminalization succeeds, it will underscore the embarrassing failure of
his own drug policy, and will increase pressure for decriminalization in
the USA.
Making Canada a scapegoat will not solve anything, so Bush should stop
blaming us, and stop meddling in our domestic politics. We have cooperated
loyally with his hopeless drug war far too long. We simply can no longer
afford the high financial and human cost, senselessly criminalizing so many
of our young people, with no positive result.
A criminal record only makes it more difficult for a marijuana user to
reform, by seriously limiting employment and career opportunities.
Please note: I am a non-smoking, non-drinking, law-abiding Canadian
citizen, and do not advocate recreational marijuana use.
Paul M
Abbotsford
Dear Editor,
Young adults make their own choices, and we all want to help them make the
right ones.
But what if, despite your best child rearing efforts, you learn that your
18-year-old daughter has been arrested for marijuana possession? What if
she has been using it frequently, or discreetly selling it to consenting
friends and acquaintances for pocket money and social status? No harm was
intended, and the activity was welcomed by her peers.
What would you consider most helpful: counselling, a fine, prison, a
criminal record, or no punishment at all?
Under current laws, a criminal record would be likely. But that would not
help her achieve a drug-free lifestyle.
She would be better served by the sort of counseling commonly used to help
alcoholics.
In her case, and in general, a criminal record will cause more harm than
good. That is one good reason why Canada should decriminalize marijuana.
President Bush's administration argues that decriminalization in Canada
will increase the flow of Canadian marijuana into the USA. But our current
marijuana laws are already largely ignored, so why would relaxing them
result in any change in the amount of marijuana available?
What must really concern Bush is that, if our experiment with
decriminalization succeeds, it will underscore the embarrassing failure of
his own drug policy, and will increase pressure for decriminalization in
the USA.
Making Canada a scapegoat will not solve anything, so Bush should stop
blaming us, and stop meddling in our domestic politics. We have cooperated
loyally with his hopeless drug war far too long. We simply can no longer
afford the high financial and human cost, senselessly criminalizing so many
of our young people, with no positive result.
A criminal record only makes it more difficult for a marijuana user to
reform, by seriously limiting employment and career opportunities.
Please note: I am a non-smoking, non-drinking, law-abiding Canadian
citizen, and do not advocate recreational marijuana use.
Paul M
Abbotsford
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