Open Letter to the Government of Canada

With 4/20 fast approaching, I figured it was time for my annual open letter to the government of Canada again. This is the third time I have sent an open letter to the government to try to open discussions on legalization of marijuana. I don't often get much of a response, but the effort is the thing. I suggest all my readers send in a similar letter and hopefully the government will start to take notice. Here is a copy of my letter.

Addressed To:
The Honorable Irene Mathyssenn - MP London-Fanshawe
The Honorable Stephen Harper - Prime Minister
The Honorable Leona Aglukkaq - Minister of Health
The Honorable James Flaherty - Minister of Finance
The Honorable Michael Ignatieff - MP Etobicoke - Lakeshore - Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
The Honorable Jack Layton - MP Toronto Danforth - Leader of the NDP party of Canada

The Honourable Gerry Ritz - Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

This is the third year in a row I am writing the government of Canada to ask that a dialogue be opened in Canada on the legalization of Marijuana. Only my own MP Irene Mathyssen, my local MP, had the decency to respond, and I thank her for that. I believe it is high time for Canadians to have a serious debate on marijuana, for too long rhetoric has been bandied about as fact and little has been done.

While Canada has made some serious strides to a more logical standpoint on drug laws by legalizing the marijuana for medicinal purposes, I feel that we have not done enough, there are so many benefits to legalizing marijuana, with very few drawbacks.

The medicinal marijuana program in Canada is a joke. The marijuana provided by the government to patients is notoriously poor quality, and the laws on producing marijuana are so strict that no one dares step up to fill the gap left by the governments failure in this arena. The plan is such a dismal failure that courts have ruled Canada's medicinal marijuana program unconstitutional. Its time to repair the damage, give the sick the access they deserve.

My particular wish is not just to fix the medicinal marijuana program, but to see marijuana legalized, taxed, and regulated. The current laws on marijuana possession are causing violence and disorder. Now I am well aware of the Conservative's National Anti-Drug Strategy. The issue I have is that it too closely resembles the American vision of a war on drugs, a war that costs billions of dollars in the USA and yet has had no effect on drug use.

Logical regulation, and taxation is a much more reasonable plan. Plus it will actually make great strides to keep marijuana out of the hands of children. Currently several polls have demonstrated that high school students have a much easier time obtaining marijuana than alcohol. A drug dealer doesn't care if his customer is 21 or 10, as long as they have the cash they will sell the weed. If the government is serious about curbing marijuana use regulation is a much more sound approach than prohibition.

Solving Canada's Drug problems cannot happen overnight, and it can not happen by imprisoning people who use drugs. And going after dealers is a losing battle, it will encourage the dealers to become even more organized and ruthless. Turning the drug trade over to law abiding business' will ensure that bloodshed over marijuana will cease. The revenues from licensing fees and taxation will be a welcome addition to the coffers, especially in the current economic climate.

Its time for serious discussion on this issue. Will you stand up and ask that your fellow Members of Parliament at least discuss the issue?

420 Guy
Constituent of London Fanshawe Riding
London Ontario
http://420-now.blogspot.com