MARIJUANA AND YOU

Anyone suggesting that Canada should decriminalize the possession and use
of marijuana is badly misinformed. Consider some facts:

Smoking "pot" is a health hazard; marijuana smoke irritates the throat and
lungs; it has twice as much tar as cigarette smoke; and the frequent use of
pot is linked to lung cancer, bronchitis and emphysema -- all increasing
the load on our health-care facilities (your taxes).

Mental Impacts

Marijuana is a depressant and a psychoactive (mood-altering) drug with,
again, health care risks and the potential for addiction; it inhibits
short-term memory, slows reaction time and impairs visual tracking (the
ability to follow moving objects accurately).

All this can make driving a vehicle hazardous to others (especially if
alcohol is combined with pot).

Across the nation, our mental-health facilities are trying to rehabilitate
persons addicted (psychotic states) to marijuana -- ask any mental-health
care professional.

And your tax dollar is paying for this lengthy and expensive rehabilitation.

Just The Surface

I have barely skimmed over the hazards of using marijuana; not mentioning
the risk to people with heart problems, reproduction effects (decreased
sperm count, irregular ovulation, complications during pregnancy).

I hope mental-health professionals, law-enforcement officers and concerned
citizens will take the time to write a letter to the editor to further
emphasize why the use of marijuana should not be decriminalized.

Chas Luter

Buchans