 |
 |
Get
Updates |
Canadian senators did the unimaginable this week when they
tabled a report proposing that marijuana be legalized, taxed for
government profit, and sold to anyone over the age of sixteen. Personally,
I think the members of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal
Drugs should put down the bong and slowly step away.
The report reflects a pathetically defeatist "if you can't
beat 'em, join 'em" attitude. It states, "a
look at trends in cannabis use, both among adults and young
people, forces us to admit that current policies are
ineffective". Then it goes on to point out that
these "ineffective policies" basically amount to de
facto decriminalization since "police maintain that the
vast majority of cannabis possession charges are incidental to
other police responsibilities" that deal with other types
of criminal activity. So if there's already a lenient
police policy in place with respect to cannabis consumption, and
"Canadian youth still appear to have the highest rate of
cannabis use in the world", then this should tell us
something about the futility of heading any further down the
legalization path. Furthermore, the increase in drug
misuse over the past 25 years does not justify abandoning any
law that tries to control drugs. Such an approach is
nothing more than a copout.
Numerous studies have shown that the mere notion of something
being against the law is an automatic deterrent for some people. Now
these senators are considering lifting all possible barriers
that may have, up until now, played a role in keeping the number
of Canadian potheads to a minimum. Moreover, they're
suggesting in their report that kids aged sixteen and older
should be given the green light to toke up at will. Sure,
and why don't they put boxes of joints right beside the
five-cent gum at 7-Eleven stores while they're at it?
Canadian Senate Committee Co-Chairman Pierre-Claude Nolin claims
that marijuana use is "a personal choice", but what
about the "personal choice" of the poor people who are
forced to endure harmful second-hand pot smoke at concerts,
events, bars and nightclubs? What about their right
not to inhale someone else's toxins? What about their
right not to get high on the account of inadvertent exposure to
someone else's bad habit? Marijuana contains 2,000
crude chemicals--some of which are carcinogens stronger than
those found in cigarettes. The senate report suggests
that "only offences involving significant direct danger to
others should be matters of criminal law". Given
the direct dangers associated with second-hand pot smoke, why
these politicians would even entertain the thought of
legalization is beyond me. There's a fine line
between libertarianism and selfishness, and it would seem that
Nolin's statement represents a bold leap across that line.
Some of the most glaring examples of blatant stupidity in the
report are contained in the section that addresses the effects
and consequences of cannabis use. This is where we
get to witness the pathetic display of our politicians trying to
play doctor-scientist. The document states that
"long term effects [of cannabis use] on cognitive functions
have not been established in research". It goes
on to say that cannabis use can cause short-term memory loss,
loss of coordination and loss of concentration, but that the
effects wear off and there is no long-term damage. Do
the senators really need to look to a book or a research paper
to see the "long term effects" of cannabis on
cognitive functions? Surely some of them were around
during the '60s and '70s and have witnessed some walking
casualties of pot's heyday.
Amazingly, the report finds that "cannabis alone has little
effect on the skills involved in driving. Cannabis
leads to a more cautious style of driving." If
this is the case, then why are people under the influence of
marijuana ten times more likely to be involved in fatal traffic
collisions than people driving under the influence of alcohol? Since
marijuana impairs coordination and judgment, it is, in fact, a
major cause of accidents.
The report also says that cannabis use can cause short-term
memory loss, loss of coordination and loss of concentration, but
that these effects wear off and there is no long-term damage. The
senators suggest that we can all feel safe and secure in knowing
that, "most long-term users integrate their use into their
family, social and occupational activities." Great. Perhaps
the senators figure that a second-hand high from Cousin Jimmy's
fatties would be a nice little added bonus for everyone at the
annual family picnic?
The proponents of legalization are neither scientists nor
doctors. Anyone who bothers to look at the scientific
facts would find that there are more than 1,000 studies showing
the harmful effects of marijuana, including a study which
indicates that marijuana use chemically alters the brain,
leading to an increased propensity to use other drugs. Marijuana
has been proven to be a gateway drug, despite what the senate
committee would have you believe by dismissing the notion
completely in its report.
Canadian senators would also have us believe that physical and
psychological dependency on marijuana are mere figments of our
imagination. However, during a 1997 hearing of the US
House of Representatives Subcommittee on Crime, Ronald
Brooks--the Past President of the California Narcotic Officers
Association--pointed out that "in 1994, the Office of
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) reported that more persons
are being admitted to treatment for marijuana use than for
heroin addiction. Dr. Daryl Inaba of the Haight
Ashbuty Free Clinic in San Francisco states that marijuana is a
highly addictive drug which contains more than 360 chemicals
that affect the brain. When smoked, marijuana
produces over 2,000 chemicals, including hydrogen cyanide,
ammonia, carbon monoxide, acetaldehyde, acetone, phenol, cresol,
naphthalene, and several carcinogens. Many of the
cancer-causing substances are present in higher concentrations
in marijuana smoke than in tobacco smoke. Dr. Eric
Voth, MD, has stated that "marijuana is clearly addictive
and is responsible for behavioral, intellectual and cognitive
deficits, and is responsible for severe side-effects to the
pulmonary, reproductive and immune systems".
Then there's the myth that if we legalize pot, it will bankrupt
the underground black market. Wrong. The
black market will simply turn to selling harder drugs in order
to recoup profits. And it appears that the senators
have forgotten all about the huge US market that lies just below
us--a country that has the sense to keep all-around harmful
drugs illegal. I doubt our politicians will be
allowed to forget about the Americans and their views on the pot
legalization issue for long, though. Surely it won't
be long before the "weed hits the bong", so to speak.
And if Canada's powers-that-be think they can use legalized,
regulated marijuana as a new source of tax revenue, they might
want to first consider the fact that their newfound windfall
could be eaten up by health costs associated with pot smoking. Researchers
at the University of California at Davis have identified a
strong link between smoking marijuana and throat cancer. During
a hearing of the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on
Crime, Dr. Janet Lapey, MD, of the Concerned Citizens for Drug
Prevention, said that "marijuana is linked to cases of
cancer, including cancer of the lungs mouth, throat, lip, and
tongue". She goes on to point out that it also
"causes respiratory diseases and mental disorders,
including psychosis, depression, panic attacks, hallucinations,
paranoia, hostility, depersonalization, flashbacks, decreased
cognitive performance, disconnected thought, delusions, and
impaired memory".
Is this really the kind of society Canada wants to create in
order to make its mark on the world? A society that
shows compassion towards potheads who don't have any respect for
their own health and safety, or for anyone else's? One
can only hope that our more level-headed American cousins can
stage an intervention of some sort, and help pull our
politicians' heads out of this dope-happy hazy daze before
Canada truly goes to pot.
|
Shop PUSA
Slander
by Ann Coulter
The Case for Marriage: Why
Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off
Financially
by Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher
Scan your PC for viruses now!
Magazine of the Month
Shakedown
: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson
by Kenneth R. Timmerman
DVD's Under $10 at buy.com!
Cigar.com
The Rehnquist
Choice: The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment That Redefined
the Supreme Court
by John W. Dean
Leather -
Sale (30 to 50% off)
Shop for Your Princess at DisneyStore.com 
|
