TRUCE IN WAR ON POT URGED

Toronto's Board of Health is the latest body to advocate
decriminalization of marijuana, removing possession for personal use
from the Criminal Code. The offence would be punishable by a fine,
not jail time and a criminal record. Thursday's question was: Should
possession of marijuana be decriminalized?

Yes. Not one penny should be wasted from a police budget chasing a
bunch of pot smokers.

No. Marijuana started my son off on the road to oblivion and ruined
his life. I will have no part of pot around here.

Yes, but the use of it while working or operating machinery such as a
motor vehicle should still be criminalized behaviour. And they have
to come up with a test like a breathalyzer to accurately test for
impairment.

No. I've heard for years, "Try marijuana, and if you haven't tried
it, don't knock it." Well I haven't tried a lot of things-iodine,
poison, whatnot. With all the poisons we take, we want to add another
poison to our body?

Yes. It's such a waste of resources sending people to the courts,
people who just want to smoke and relax, who don't want to hurt
anybody else. It's 2001. Concentrate on the real issues: crime,
murder, terrorism.

No. How many tragedies in our society have been introduced and caused
directly by such drugs as nicotine and alcohol? Why must we now
introduce a mind-altering drug like marijuana to introduce more
tragedy into our society?

Yes. It seems to be a fairly passive intoxicant. I won't call it a
drug so much as an herb that just does something to people.

No. marijuana is increasingly more potent. And just because some do
not respect existing laws does not mean the law should be thrown out
to accommodate the violators.

Yes. People do it already, and policing and court money could be
better directed toward other, more harmful social activities rather
than going after punks, 16-year-old kids who are really not doing
anything bad.

No. There is a legitimate use for some types of illnesses where
marijuana is useful, and then it becomes a drug like any other.

Yes. However, the sales should be organized by the province in the
same way the liquor store is, and it should be taxed very, very
highly so that it could earn some income for the province.