Talk Back

CANADA ENVY

Dear HempWorld

We in the United States see opportunities for you in your courts that are
not nearly as easy here. A victory in a state court may change state law,
but leave the federal law standing. Of course, the same is true if the
situation is reversed. This is also true for changes thru the political
process. Already in California we have a medical marijuana user who may be
prosecuted under federal law because the local cops think they could not
win under the state law passed by the initiative of the people.

Thus we see our system as more entrenched, much harder to change, and envy
you.

Of course, you may well choose to honor those treaties we roped you into
signing that were designed to insure you march in goose step with us in
this War on (Some) Drugs.

We know, from experience and history, that the only way the Prohibitionists
can win their War on (Some) Drugs is to suspend all our constitutional
freedoms and impose a dictatorship. We fear the road the United States is
on and pray other countries do not follow us into the same trap.

Without even considering any possible successes in the courts, Chris Clay's
trial has so far resulted in a mostly favorable press (including radio and
TV coverage) and hundreds of published letters to the editor which alone
make the costs an unbelievable value. It would cost many times the price so
far to have the same favorable impact thru advertising.

As for the results of the trial, I consider them better than I would have
hoped for a local court. I always assumed that any real change would be the
result of the appeal process.

Richard Lake
Sylvania, Ohio, USA
email:rlake@mapinc.org
Retired US Army Officer, educator on the staff of the University of Toledo.
Member of DrugSense (http://www.drugsense.org/), an international
organization moving the discourse on drugs from hysteria to sanity and
humanity. Activist on this issue since 1968.