FELDSTED: They have started down the same path of failure, while making many people needlessly uncomfortable in the process
Legalization of cannabis is one of the worst
mistakes made by our current government.
For decades cannabis (marijuana) has been in
widespread use from public schools, to the hallowed halls of justice and
parliament. Everyone who wanted to experiment knew someone, who knew someone,
who could provide access.
Many people, young and old, were introduced to pot
in a social setting, asked to ‘try this,
you’ll like it’. There is something risqué about doing something
prohibited. For most, indulging in pot was occasional and recreational. Others
used pot more frequently and some made it a daily habit.
Frequent users, mostly through fear of being caught
with an illegal substance on their person, or in their homes, lobbied
government to decriminalize low quantities of pot. Others demanded that pot be
legalized to serve their personal desires.
During the 2015 federal
election campaign, Justin Trudeau announced that if his Liberal Party was
elected to govern, he would legalize cannabis. His party was elected, but
legalization was not immediate. It took about a year and a half for a
legalization Bill to be introduced (April 13, 2017), and Pot was to become
legal on July 1, 2018.
All hell broke loose. Every politician at
provincial and civic level felt an obligation to exercise control over what was
to be a legal drug. There was a huge outcry that we would find drivers high on
pot, and that we had to protect the children at all costs.
None of them gave a hoot when cannabis was illegal.
Public school students were using pot and people
were driving high. None of them cared enough to admit illegal use was rampant
and needed attention. No studied were done on public health and safety risks.
Employers and landlords have jumped on the band
wagon and, along with politicians, are creating ridiculous rules for cannabis
use. None of them care about our health, safety or well-being; they are drunk
on the opportunity to exercise control over others.
They overlook the resilience of criminals and the
public. When cannabis was illegal they tried to stamp out its use and failed
miserably. Collectively, they decided to look the other way and ignore cannabis
use.
They have started down the same path of failure, while
making many people needlessly uncomfortable in the process. They
are trying to link cannabis control to tobacco control which has failed to
stamp out smoking. A hard core of over five million Canadian continue to smoke
despite ridiculous prices, and even more ridiculous rules on where they can
smoke.
In the meantime, politicians have been ignoring the
growing use of highly addictive and potentially deadly synthetic opioids. Combating drug use requires public education, and the education requires sound
scientific studies. Faux studies and dire warnings don’t work. Tobacco
regulation has proved that.
Next week cannabis, as a result of the passing of Bill C-45 (The Cannabis Act: An Act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts), will be legal in Canada despite
no one, at any level of government, understanding its effects on humans.
We don’t even know what levels of use are safe.
We do not know its effects on developing youth.
We can detect levels of cannabis in blood samples
but have no means of interpreting what they mean.
We are flying into the unknown, blind and dumb and
will, like other jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis, face numerous
unintended consequences, none of them positive for our society.
Legalization will not deter the criminal element.
All it has done is legitimize investors, growers and producers who are
technically criminals at present.
John Feldsted
Political Consultant
& Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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