Canadian Cannabis Crisis?

I was wondering why Australia was outlawing hydroponic pot while decriminalizing plants grown by other methods. I thought I smelled John Walters' hand in that policy and now here he is chastising the Canadians for exporting the "crack of marijuana" to the United States." You guessed it -- hydroponic cannabis.

Walters urged Ottawa to recognize the problem of hydroponics, which employs nutrient-rich solutions rather than soil. "It is often grown inside under lights, and Walters said it sold for as much as cocaine." As if Ottawa doesn't already know that after the Barrie bust.

Walters counsels the Canadian government to show leadership in combating this "dangerously potent" plant which he blames for 120,000 emergency hospital admissions. That would include of course, those who say -- break their ankle playing sports and admit to having smoked a bowl three weeks prior.

Although he values US good will, Prime Minister Paul Martin is not falling for the rhetoric. Washington's own data shows that of all the illegal pot seized by U.S. agents only 1.5 percent came from Canada and he intends to press ahead with plans to end jail terms for people caught with small amounts of marijuana.

And while Walters speaks of safety his true concern appears to be about the velocity of US dollars crossing the border. He said that Canadian producers had a multibillion dollar marijuana growing business and that 80 to 90 percent of revenues came from the United States. Revenues that could be staying inside the US if our legislators would stand up to the prohibition protectors and legalize.

In all the years I smoked cannabis, the only emergency I ever saw was when someone ran out of herb. Cannabis can't kill you and the kids today are OD'ing on Special K and other bizarre and unknown but low cost chemicals of doubtful origins, because they can't afford cannabis, which as Walters himself points out has become more expensive than gold under the prohibition.