Posted on 09/06/2002 8:59:47 AM PDT by MrLeRoy
It's enough for a big thumbs up ... or a big light up, if you prefer.
Canada should legalize marijuana use by adults, a Senate committee recommended Wednesday. The report comes on the heels of a two-year study of public policy relating to pot.
The present system of prohibition on marijuana just doesn't work, the committee found. Obviously, the committee learned something from early 20th-century history, when alcohol was prohibited in the United States. Then, prohibition simply gave gangsters a product to move and people to shoot.
Instead of the current system that penalizes people for having small quantities of pot on them, there should instead be a regulated system for marijuana, perhaps like our current system for alcohol, the committee determined.
"Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and health issue," said Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, the committee chair.
It's true that taking pot still involves the harmful intake of smoke, which the committee recognized. But, as the committee pointed out, it's more of a health issue than anything else.
In addition, making pot legal would clear the way for our police to tackle other, more harmful crimes relating to the public good. Really, would you rather see a pot smoker or a child molester behind bars?
Whether the federal government will ever adopt the Senate recommendations is up in the air. Hopefully the feds won't throw up a smokescreen on this to cloud the issue, and goes ahead with legalization.
Explain how it's "masquerading" as a news story. I think it's pretty obvious that it's an editorial. Of course, grasping the obvious appears to be a little bit of a problem for WOD'ers.
Arresting someone in "full relaxation mode" doesn't even reqiure them to put their donut down.
Pot already is de-legalized. What exactly are you driving at? That you approve of the current status quo (the WOD)?
It's an incremental step to SOME of its supporters. What of it?
Well, I'd call that a "personal attack!"
It got you to show up, didn't it? I win the five bucks. :-)
That'll work. Get the government out of the business of prohibiting it and into the business of selling it.
When people keep growing it on their own property, what then? Knock down their doors to collect the tax instead of to prevent them from growing it?
Why not just leave people the hell alone?
I totally disagree: the gov't should be forbiden from ever taxing any formerly-banned substance, to punish it for lying about pot and other drugs.
Sorry if you took offense to me assuming your tu-tu was pink.
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