POT LUCK

The federal government's senate committee on the legalization of marijuana
must have been smoking a little pot themselves over the past two years
while studying the issue.

At a press conference Wednesday, Senator Colin Kenny told the press the
committee felt legalizing marijuana would reduce its allure to young people
as an illicit and exciting activity.

To Kenny and his committee co-horts, we send a big "get real."

When has this philosophy ever proven to be true? Would young people
actually drink more if we made alcohol illegal? Or maybe we could reduce
the number of drunk drivers on our roads by loosening up the impaired
driving laws a little. It's an utterly ridiculous position.

And speaking of impaired drivers, don't we have enough on our roads without
throwing another legal method of becoming impaired into the mix.

If the committee has found that marijuana has some benefit to cancer
patients and others who use if for medicinal purposes, then make it a legal
drug that can only be prescribed by a qualified physician. It should be
treated the same as heavy pain killers and any other drug at the pharmacy.
There's certainly no need to open the doors and start selling it in
government run shops like alcohol at the LCBO for recreational use.

Far from its feigned concern for young people, the committee was more
likely spurred to its reccomendation by the possible revenue the government
would reap should pot be legalized and sold in "MCBO" outlets. You think
there's a heavy tax on cigarettes? Wait until you see the whopping sin tax
put on pot, not to mention the controls to prevent folks from sowing a row
or two and growing their own.

Put the drug where it belongs -- in the pharmacy and off the streets.