June 4, 2014

Dear Sir,

The cannabis debate rages on unabated for it’s being legalised or decriminalised in small amounts. We hear spirited orations about the hypocrisy of alcohol being legal and socially acceptable and therefore the prohibition of weed is just wrong. Tobacco products, cigarettes in particular must be the most addictive things ever accepted for common use in the history of mankind! It is legal everywhere in the world and silly talk about putting the Genie back in the lamp is just mindless rhetoric and nonsense.

As a species we have the appetite for these vices and that sir is how it is. Word games about tobacco and alcohol products being legal as being hypocritical is verbal gymnastics at best and nonsense at worst. Let’s be clear I carry no brief for the recreational use of any mind altering or addictive substance. Proven medical applications for marijuana and its acceptance is a no brainer. Smoking it should be discouraged with all the vigour we can muster. This practice is bad and unhealthy for anyone especially our young people. Our leaders should be encouraging people to strive for clean living free of intoxication and the high of weed or narcotics that is simply dangerous.

One who chooses not to imbibe does not relegate him to the dung heap of the self righteous or irritating teetotallers at all. This is just name calling. We should do all we can to decrease the strident appetite we have as an alternative lifestyle. It may come as a revelation that there is a wonderful life to be enjoyed without the use of weed, tobacco, alcohol and narcotics to wind down and as we say relax.

At the danger of being preachy I recommend a life committed to God and temperance! In the presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy and pleasures fore evermore. Life is short any often filled with sickness and medical maladies why not make much better and wiser choices?

WAYNE B SCOTT