FACTS ON POT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

A couple of years ago, the topic of marijuana decriminalization came
to the surface when Anne McLellan was minister of justice.
Eventually, Canadians didn't hear about it anymore.

Now that we have a new minister of justice, the subject has been
addressed again.

I am truly amazed at the power and influence the pro-marijuana
lobbyists have with the government of Canada. Decriminalization is
merely an excuse for them to justify their choice. For those who are
not smoking marijuana, decriminalization would not be of interest to
them.

Parents who advise their teen-agers to use marijuana over alcohol
obviously are not informed. If used in moderation, alcohol is a far
safer choice as it is cleared from the brain. We have three teenagers
and they would not take the risk of experimenting with marijuana (or
any illegal drug) due to the information that we have provided for
them.

Marijuana produced today is 40 times more powerful than it was in the
'60s. Smoked over time, it results in a permanent buildup of a sticky
residue on the myelin sheaths of the brain.

Even if a user is sober for many years after smoking pot, they are
left with permanent brain damage which severely impairs their
cognitive abilities.

As Canadian taxpayers, we are strongly opposed to decriminalizing
another drug. We are concerned about the message this will send to our
youth, i.e. that pot is harmless. We are concerned about our
neighbours in the U.S., who are trying to educate their citizens on
the harmful effects of drug use --not to mention that we also share
about 5,000 kilometres of border. Talk about "brain drain." Canadians
do not need to move to the U.S. for this to happen. It is already
taking place in our country, with B.C. leading the way.

To verify the above facts, I would suggest calling AADAC and make an
appointment with an addictions counsellor who is working with
recovering addicts who have a history of regular and long-term
marijuana use.

Joan Nolte,

Edmonton