Debate over Marijuana Is a Foggy One

March 16, 2005

There’s a great deal of haze surrounding the debate over the proposed decriminalization of marijuana in this country.

A recent nation-wide poll found that 50 percent of Canadians believe the federal Liberal government is attempting to legalize the drug. In fact, Bill C-17, would decriminalize the possession of certain amounts. That means pot would remain illegal, but those caught with up to 30 grams would incur a fine instead of a criminal record.

I don’t like the idea of someone ‘experimenting’ with a joint to be barred from many jobs and travel for the rest of their life due to a criminal record. However, the Liberals need to take a hard look at amending their pot legislation.

First, 30 grams is no “small” amount. That’s as many as 30 joints. Secondly, Bill C-17 applies to minors as young as 12. The same poll I mentioned above found 83 percent of Canadians oppose the government’s plan to have the bill apply to minors.

All a 12-year-old child perceives is that pot can’t be so bad if the government only hands out fines for those caught. Youth should face rigourous educational and corrective measures to ensure they are aware of the dangers.

To add to their confusion, the “decriminalization” debate has led some to push for eventual legalization. The legalization camp believes that will solve the organized crime and law enforcement difficulties associated with the drug. In my view, this “we can’t beat them so let’s join them” attitude is the lazy way out.

Resources for law enforcement continue to erode in this country. The Liberals willingly spend more than a billion dollars on a useless gun registry, but won’t put more police officers on the streets to fight the grow-ups and pushers. Plus, Ottawa would profit, through taxation, on yet another legal substance that’s also hazardous to our health. Sure, it may be too late to close the barn door on cigarettes, but is that justification enough to swing the door wide open to widespread marijuana use?

Marijuana is not a harmless drug!! Not only is it a gateway drug (the latest ‘thing’ for young people to try is to combine pot with “crystal meth”), today’s marijuana is much stronger than it was a couple of decades ago. People do become addicted to marijuana both physically and psychologically.

Psychologically people crave the mental effects or ‘high’ of the drug and become edgy and anxious if they are unable to achieve it. Then there’s decreased memory, concentration skills and motivation. That’s all bad enough in an adult, but to even hint that a drug which does this to a developing teenager is ‘okay’ is irresponsible. Health wise, smoking three marijuana joints in one day causes the same damage to the airways, as smoking twenty cigarettes.

The Liberals cannot continue to send these confusing and conflicting messages, especially when it comes to our nation’s youth. It makes no sense to spend scarce tax dollars telling youth to “just say no to drugs”, while legitimizing the use of marijuana through decriminalization.

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