Legalization of pot a step backward
Although many Canadians are greeting the legalization of marijuana in a celebratory manner, the larger picture concerning this issue needs to be examined more closely. Marijuana’s availability to the population at large does not represent an improvement or a positive step forward for us as a nation. Instead it is a step backward.
We should not be joyously greeting the acceptance of a drug that bears little resemblance to its predecessor in the 1960s. Today’s marijuana is much more potent than the drug of those days. In fact experts estimate that you would have to smoke up to 15 1970 joints to equal one from today. This isn’t your grandfather’s marijuana.
An examination of the situation in Colorado is extremely instructive in this regard. There are more dispensaries in Denver than McDonalds and Starbucks combined. Is this what we want to see in Canadian cities? The Colorado experiment has gone awry in many ways, and the misery created by it is undeniable. What is more, the real issue here is THC, not marijuana. THC in concentrate form is going to cause much more pain for all of us than traditional marijuana. From THC soaked candy to various other forms of concentrate rich cannabis vehicles, this will spread out into our society like a virus, adding to our problems, not preventing them.
The medical evidence of the detrimental effects of cannabis on our youth are well documented and don’t need to be repeated here. In addition though, there is the element of big business looking to cash in on another form of intoxicant. We beat big tobacco and large scale alcohol consumption so now they need a new vehicle. Enter Weed Inc.
Should the government of Canada be cashing in on this? No. Instead they should be using legitimate economic policies to provide revenue, reduce our debt and prosper the nation. Recently the Liberal party of Canada passed an in party tentative resolution to legalize all drugs. Great. It’s all part of the general societal trend, but we should be going away from drugs, not joyously accepting them.
To understand the dangers of legalizing pot more fully read Weed Inc. by Ben Cort or Dr. Kevin A. Sabet’s Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths about Marijuana. Think about this folks. We have turned a corner and it has potentially dire consequences for us all.
Perry Foster
Duncan