CALL IT THE CHEECH & CHONG PLAN

Break out the bongs and pass the Doritos; I'm going to talk about the
decriminalization of drugs and even the legalization of our favourite
cannabis products.

First, let me state the obvious: The war on drugs is unwinnable.

Any number of parliamentary committees, royal commissions and town hall
meetings is not going to get us closer to preventing people from using drugs.

The lure is too great. The supply is too ready. The money to be made is too
lucrative.

I'm on board, however, with the whole drugs-are-bad movement. I understand
addiction and how its relentless grip can erode the good things in our
lives. Granted, my addictions have been more socially acceptable -
nicotine, caffeine, the Leafs - but they have been hard enough to kick that
I've managed to use them as my cautionary tale, keeping me away from their
narcotic cousins.

But the billions of dollars that are spent every year on the hugely
ineffective battle against the flow of illegal substances should at least
give us pause to consider there may be a better way to go about it.

The simple answer is to legalize everything. Voila! No more problems with
illegal drugs. I'm willing to agree, however, that's hardly practical and
even a little insane.

The reality is that people in this country continue to have a real problem
with any of the touchy-feely solutions used to help addicts, like methadone
treatment, needle exchanges or the newest concept, safe injection sites.

To me, that clearly suggests we aren't anywhere close to wanting to reach
out to those battling with addiction with anything but reluctance and an
overwhelming desire to continue treating them as the criminals they are.

If we treat them with compassion, it would seem, it's tantamount to
condoning their behaviour.

But our tough love approach to drug use isn't working. There is as much
abuse as ever and our public hysteria over containing the problem continues
to mount.

By decriminalizing drug use - not the sale or distribution - we create an
atmosphere more conducive to actually dealing with the problem. Addicts
won't have to worry about the repercussions when they do seek help, and the
drug-free public won't have to feel weak when we cut them a break.

Let's work at removing the demand and rely on our law-enforcement brothers
and sisters to track down the supply.

Oh, and while we're at it, let's completely cave and legalize and regulate
the sale and use of marijuana.

After all, compared to the government-sanctioned devastation directly
attributable to tobacco and alcohol, a little ganja is the weak sister.