21/01/2008 00:00:00
Letter: Making Drug Legal is Just a Responsibility
---
In His letter published on January 11 (Madness to legalise drug) Mr Pye
quoted me from a speech I made when I asked: "Is there any justice in
punishing me or you, if the child or teenager has developed mental
health problems?"
http://ccguide.org.uk/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=13137
Well, Mr Pye, is there?
If you think there is, please let us know what it is. Would you support
a policy of arresting and prosecuting people who like a drink of beer or
wine at home because some people have become alcoholics, or suffered
mental illness? Would you just arrest them all, even though they have
harmed nobody? That appears to be the policy you are promoting about
cannabis.
It hasn't stopped the so-called cannabis disasters.
In fact they have all occurred under the legal regime Mr Pye continues
to support.
Furthermore, because cannabis is controlled largely by organised crime,
it is contaminated with all sorts of chemicals, and we don't know what
they are.
Legalisation does not mean giving a free hand to people to grow and sell
cannabis willy-nilly (like most already do).
It would allow people the opportunity to operate under the regulations
of law. Legalisation means Government acknowledging its responsibility
to protect citizens - including cannabis users, as they protect people
who choose to drink alcohol - so long as they behave.
Mr Pye is wrong to say I do not care. It is because I care that I
campaign for legalisation - because I firmly believe that cannabis
legalisation would reduce harm overall.
The laws against cannabis are not helping the vulnerable or those who
suffer through its use, and I have great sympathy for them - but please
give a thought to those people who are given criminal records, even sent
to jail, even though they personally have had no involvement in anyone
being harmed.
Those people who have done no harm are sons, daughters, parents etc, of
others too, and to sit and watch them pay a high price for their private
choice is also heart-rending.
ALUN BUFFRY Stoke-on-Trent
Comment on site: http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=13186
Author:
The Sentinel via UKCIA
|