FORMER MPP DISMAYED WITH RECOMMENDATION TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA

Drug dealers across Canada are cheering quietly this week and preparing to
expand their operations. Incredibly, a parliamentary committee in Ottawa
chaired by Burlington MP Paddy Torsney has recommended that possession of
30-50 joints of marijuana become a ticketing offence, like speeding. Paddy,
who admits she has smoked marijuana in the past, joked with the media
saying it depends how thick you roll the joints. This foolish idea would
undoubtedly widely expand use of this narcotic, putting more drugs into the
hands of children and teens. Speeding is the norm on our streets and
highways because ticketing simply acts as a licence to commit an offence.

Having represented a considerable part of Burlington and Oakville for four
years at Queen's Park, I can say I never once heard anyone suggest that
marijuana be decriminalized. What I heard was that decent people are fed up
with crime, especially drug dealers, those who don't pay their fare share
of taxes, and are concerned with threats to our health care system. Since
there was never any mention of liberalizing narcotics laws in any of Paddy
or Bonnie Brown's election literature from 1993 on, one has to wonder how
far out of touch with their ridings and reality they can possible get.

Here are three key myths regarding marijuana, which the government members
apparently believe:

1. Marijuana use doesn't lead to other drugs. False, it very often does.
Ask any drug user if they have smoked marijuana. The vast majority will say
yes.

2. Marijuana is not addictive. False. There are untold thousands of people
who are highly dependent on marijuana. It depletes initiative, dulls the
thinking and impairs the user's judgement -- a tragic lifestyle very
difficult to escape.

3. Marijuana is harmless. False. Marijuana use is involved in many property
crimes, assaults and many vehicle accidents causing injuries and death.
Marijuana sales finance other types of crime, which costs taxpayers
billions of dollars. Marijuana dealers don't pay tax. Marijuana growers are
stealing millions of dollars of hydro from the rest of us. Marijuana
related social problems in families and schools cause untold misery and
overload our social service agencies. Marijuana induced impairment reduces
productivity in our workplaces, causes accidents and prevents children and
teens from learning in school. Marijuana smoke itself contains hundreds of
chemicals from which users will suffer ill health as they get older putting
an even greater burden on our health care system.

Decriminalizing pot will attract the most resourceful and wealthy dealers
from around the world to Canada and pout millions in their pockets to
finance other crime. Our young people will have pot shoved in their faces
everywhere they go. Police will spend more and more time trying to keep up
with mis-behaviour of impaired marijuana users and their wealthy dealers,
like Amsterdam where shops have been forced to install pull-down aluminum
shutters at night. Imagine downtown Oakville and Burlington stores with
aluminum shutters covering all the windows after 6 p.m.

If only for the young people that the Liberals are prepared to write off,
please take a minute and call the offices of Paddy Torsney (905-639-5757)
and Bonnie Brown (905-827-2077) to tell them you don't want more drugs on
our streets.

TERENCE H. YOUNG