Pubdate: Mon, 11 Oct 1999
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 1999 Southam Inc.
Contact:  300 - 1450 Don Mills Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3R5
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Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
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Author: Myron Von Hollingsworth

Stir up the pot

STIR UP THE POT

Cannabis has no lethal dose and its pharmacological effects have never
caused a single death in more than 5,000 years of recorded history.

The (unseen) driving force against medical (or unrestricted adult)
legalization of cannabis is the fact that cannabis can't be patented. This
precludes the need for big business to be involved and that fact makes
cannabis commercially unattractive, pharmaceutically speaking. It seems
that if it can't be profitized successfully the government can't justify
legalization even for the sick and dying.

Unfortunately, a change in current policy (prohibition) would necessitate
that the alternative (legalization) reap more profits (seen and unseen)
than our present policy does.

Maybe the politicians are required to adhere to the party line of
prohibition because law enforcement, customs, the prison industrial
complex, the drug testing industry, et al can't live without the budget
justification.

Myron Von Hollingsworth,
Fort Worth, Texas.

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