POLITICAL SMOKESCREEN

Re "Don't hold your breath" (News, July 11). Sometimes what
neo-conservatives like to call "judicial activism" is simply the end result
of a do-nothing legislature.

As we have seen in the past with the abortion laws, it's much simpler --
and much more politically comfortable -- to let the courts change an
unjust, unpopular and unconstitutional law.

I don't believe justice minister Martin Cauchon will ever get a chance to
table legislation decriminalizing cannabis, simply because the Supreme
Court will issue their ruling before the bill even makes it out of committee.

The only people that seem to like the status quo fall into two broad
categories: first, American politicians and a few well-intentioned but
misinformed community groups -- who maintain an ostrichlike attitude toward
some drugs and not others -- and second, the police unions, because any
change to the laws are seen as affecting the continued employment of some
of their members.

What a lot of Canadians would like to hear about, instead of the usual talk
without action from Ottawa, is how our government plans to assure quality,
avoid the imposition of sky-high "sin" taxes and maintain reasonable age
controls in the inevitably re-legalized cannabis market.

TIM MEEHAN,

Communication Director, Ontario Consumers For Safe Access To Recreational
Cannabis