REPORT RIGHT: LET'S LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

On Sept. 4, the Canadian Senate Special Committee released a 600-plus page
report after an exhaustive and comprehensive two-year study of public
policy related to marijuana. The report is the result of rigorous research,
analysis and extensive public hearings.

The report states that "Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicated that
cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should not be
treated as a criminal issue but as a social and public health issue." It
also states: "Whether or not an individual uses marijuana should be a
personal choice that is not subject to criminal penalties," and that "as a
drug, it should be regulated by the state much as we do for wine and beer,
hence our preference for legalization over decriminalization."

The report is very informative and may be viewed at http://www.parl.gc.ca.

Deputy Chair Sen. Colin Kenny stated: "Though what we are recommending for
our country has an impact on our friends and neighbors, Canada must make
its own decisions in the best interest of its citizens."

Yet back at home we are spending over $10 billion annually, arresting over
734,000 individuals per year. Some 85 percent of those are simple
possession charges - far more than the total number of arrests for all
violent crimes combined. According to the Department of Justice's own
statistics, at the cost of about $3.1 billion in tax money, about 60,000
people or 3.3 percent of our total incarcerated population are under lock
and key for marijuana violations. This is wrong and must be stopped.

These are non-violent, innocent people who - once placed in confines with
the true criminal element - become a product of their environment.

The Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs, which just voted to support
the Question 9 initiative on the ballot in Nevada Nov. 5, want these people
out of their jails, not taking up their space and time so they can
concentrate on real criminals committing violent crimes.

Let's learn something from our neighbors to the north.

Let your elected officials know how you feel. This injustice against our
society has gone on for long enough. For more information about what you
can do and resources concerning marijuana facts visit the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), http://www.norml.org.

William E. Wallace

Hattiesburg