CANADIAN SENATORS MUST HAVE BEEN SMOKING SOMETHING

Canada's senators have come up with an interesting idea. Let's legalize
marijuana.

Let's see if we can save $300 million to $500 million per year enforcing
laws against this drug.

Let's take that money and spend it on drug abuse programs (and admit that
marijuana is addictive).

Let's spend that money on preventative health programs (encouraging people
not to start smoking the legalized drug).

Let's spend that money on border surveillance (because it's not legal in
the United States)

And because we've just thrown this idea out there and already spent all the
money we've saved, let's talk about where else we'll have to spend money.

How about the increased costs of insurance and health care. There will be
people who will "dope and drive". How will police test someone to see if he
or she has been smoking a joint before driving? And what will the "legal
limit" for marijuana smoking be? One? Two? Does it depend on your gender,
height, weight and whether you had a meal with your joint?

What about restaurants and bars? Won't they all have no choice but to
become no smoking or will there be three sections instead of two?

There has been discussion about the decriminalization of marijuana for
awhile, but that is different than legalization.

Pushing to legalize pot before offering any solutions to these questions
(and others) is crazy.

Pushing to legalize a drug, which is just as addictive as cigarettes and
alcohol is scary.

Why aren't we talking about stiffer penalties for marijuana possession?

Senators need to slow down and take another look at their idea, and the
Canadian public need to respond to outrageous ideas thought up by these people.

Let your member of parliament, Grant Hill, know your opinion on the
legalization of marijuana before it's too late. His mailing address is Box
430, Okotoks, Alta., T0L 1T0. You can also write to David Hancock, the
provincial minister of justice, at 208 Legislature Building, 10800 97th
Ave., Edmonton, Alta., T5K 2B6.

~RHS