FUTURE WITH LEGAL POT NOT TOO BRIGHT

The special Senate committee's proposal to legalize marijuana (Gazette,
Sept., 6) is just another sign that if something is highly addictive and
can generate a lot of revenue, the government will want to be in on it:
gambling, alcohol, tobacco and, now, marijuana.

The officials claim the taxes on marijuana sales would be used for
treatment programs and prevention. Yeah, right. What about the billions of
profit that the government would make at the expense of people's health?
What about the effects of smoking pot such as loss of co-ordination and
concentration; do we need more fatal accidents?

Many students in high school try to resist the temptation of drugs, and one
of their last reasons left for not getting into drugs is to say that
they're illegal. Well, not anymore if the Senate committee has its way. If
it's OK for the government, that means it's not that bad.

And what about the proposal to legalize marijuana for anyone 16 or older?
Sixteen! Kids at that age are still in high school. It's true that the
effects are "only" loss of memory (perfect for exams), loss of
co-ordination (handy for gym class), anxiety and disorientation (both sure
to serve students well when it comes to choosing a college and a career),
and so on.

What a bright future.

I. Hert

Laval