Pubdate: Thu, 23 Apr 2015
Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.pqbnews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361
Author: Michael Scott

DEMON WEED'S DEPLORABLE CULTURE

I share some of recent letter writer Rose Stacey's concerns regarding
the demon weed and grieve with her the anguish of a parent whose child
has become enmeshed in that deplorable culture.

However, nothing has destroyed our own culture more than the evils of
the drug laws. Yes, marijuana is not a harmless substance, but then
neither are alcohol and nicotine, both readily available legally.

As a retired psychiatrist who actually ran a dual diagnosis unit at a
large tertiary care psychiatric institution in Vancouver from 2002 to
2004, I have to tell Stacey that I saw much more tragedy and grief
attendant on the misuse of alcohol than from cannabis. As a matter of
fact, I have a hard time remembering any patient whose misuse of
cannabis caused problems even half as severe as the problems we saw
daily from alcohol abuse.

The three major commonly abused (illegal) substances in our cities -
cannabis, cocaine and heroin - are all extremely cheap to produce and
because they are illegal, command astronomical prices on the street.
Something that costs about 10 cents a gram to produce may be sold,
always adulterated to some degree, at hundreds of dollars a gram.

If I were a wholesaler of illegal drugs, my major nightmare would be
legislation, since I could no longer make the kinds of profits I enjoy
right now.

I don't care for marijuana personally, and I have a hard time thinking
of anyone I ever met who benefited from it, nonetheless, I think it is
inappropriate to hurl the power of the state at people who are simply
exercising their right to take things that may not be terribly good
for them, and in fact may be helping them, who knows?

Many jurisdictions in Europe and even a few south of the border have
relaxed their controls on cannabis without the sky falling in on them.
This is (fortunately) the trend and our local RCMP are way behind the
times. Persecuting Phoenix is not making our streets safer.

Michael Scott

French Creek
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