User talk:Whoson123

Time to Wake Up Canada

Hey, uh... Canada? Yeah, I really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you know that whole “War on Drugs” you agreed to be a part of 30 years ago? Yeah, I’m sorry to say, but you’re losing... and I hate having to break your moral spirit, but you will never, ever win a war against drugs. And in the essay, I will explain why this war needs to stop, particularly focusing on one drug in specific: cannabis. Oh, your ambition was fabulous. Remember all those lessons on why you shouldn’t use drugs back in grade 8? Or those cute little Above the Influence commercials? If you could only hear the roaring laughter from your own citizens, more specifically the youth, who, for the most part, have accepted marijuana as a part of Canadian culture through the realization that it is a victimless “crime” and not nearly as harmful as some of those other drugs you tax, regulate and allow us to consume. You know... the ones that lead us to lung cancer and liver failure? Tobacco and alcohol are racking up deaths of Canadian citizens by the millions. Yet, we cannot seem to embrace the fact that marijuana is a drug that has been agreed upon by many professionals to be beneficial both medically and spiritually; that it has been widely accepted by those of all religious creeds for centuries... Christians, Muslims, Rastafarians, Sikhs. But here we are in 2008, and it is still considered a criminal offense. It seems rather condescending of the government to tell us what drugs we can have, and what drugs we can’t have. And when was the government ever granted the right to tell us what we can and cannot do with our own consciousness? And before you assume I am just another pot head who wants the right to smoke without having the label “criminal” attached to my name, I will have you know that it does not phase me that grass is illegal, I can get it regardless! What bothers me is that plenty of otherwise normal citizens are being thrown into jail for possession, or participating in growing operations. I want justice for these citizens, who are being punished for giving the public what they want. When you use that part of your brain called “Logic”, you quickly realize that these “criminals” who are “infecting the youth” with their “devil’s harvest” could very well be working in a marijuana cultivation centre, similar to those people producing your vodka, brewing your beer, harvesting your tobacco. Considering the fact we spent $368 million targeting illicit drugs in 2005, most of it going to law enforcement, we should reconsider our two choices. It can remain illegal, and we can spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year just to prevent it, and on top of that, pay to keep these “criminals” who grow the thing in jail, or we could tax and regulate it, just like tobacco and alcohol, and... who knows, maybe we could put some of that money into social programs for people with drug addictions? Sounds a little more productive, does it not? So Canada, please grow up and realize you are only adding fuel to the fire by making criminals out of our youth and fostering domestic terrorism; realize people plan on using marijuana regardless of whether or not it is illegal, and they don’t plan on stopping. I know you must feel stubborn right now, as you have remained confident for so long in this battle against drugs, but its okay to admit it when you’ve made a mistake. And you’ve made a pretty big one, so now would probably be the time to fess up. Thanks. And remember, "even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could."