Pubdate: Mon, 26 Jan 2004
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004, Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.fyiottawa.com/ottsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Scott Russ
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk

MORE REEFER MADNESS

RE "U.S. on alert for young pot users," (Jan. 22): This is absurd. More 
reefer madness. Do you really think Americans are worried about young 
Canadians coming across the border with cannabis? We've already got 
millions of our own citizens and youngsters using marijuana. Not to mention 
presidents and other prominent members of society who have admitted to 
using it.

Eighty years of this nightmare are enough. Our resources need to be focused 
on real crimes: Murder, rape, burglary ... Continuing this Chicken Little 
routine and screaming that the sky is falling is just not going to work 
anymore.

We're fully aware of what cannabis can do and how to mitigate any harms 
associated with its use. We are not going to accept the crime, corruption, 
death and disease that have proliferated over the past 80 years due to the 
drug war. Prohibition: It's worse than we all remember.

Scott Russ

Baton Rouge, La.

(At best, it's been ineffective)
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman