Letter Of The Day

DECRIMINILIZATION? SO FAR, IT'S JUST TALK

RE "SMOKING out the law," (editorial, July 21): I agree completely that
government has no right to make someone a criminal for using cannabis but
I'm skeptical that we'll see any real changes. So far, it's just talk. We
shouldn't be patting ourselves on the back for our progressive medical
policy just yet.

Check those courtrooms for people with multiple sclerosis and epilepsy who
are being charged with growing their own medicine.

The Medical Marijuana Access Regulations require several doctors to sign
forms and the medical associations have told doctors not to sign. So we
created a policy for doctors without their agreement to follow it. Not much
use for the sick.

Britain's shadow home secretary, Oliver Letwin, is calling for a zero
tolerance, "go to jail" policy for cannabis and the suggestion to
decriminalize will wait a year before going into effect. They have not
changed their laws and perhaps when they do, they'll be following the U.S.
lead in hiring police and building prisons.

Holland's new conservative government wants to close up the coffee houses,
along with kicking out illegal immigrants. There is a substantial group who
believe (or at least say) that cannabis is an addictive, soul-destroying
menace to society. While marijuana studies dating back to 1894 with the
British Study on Hemp have indicated that this plant is no threat, the
beliefs of the Reefer Madness crowd have been in force for 70 years and
seem quite likely to continue. When politicians say, "maybe we'll
decriminalize pot," maybe they're just looking for some attention.

Mack Mcleod

Thornhill

(There certainly is a whiff of the trial balloon about it -- but so far it
seems to be enjoying a fair amount of support)