Lose the booze and free the weed

While our politicians are not known for seeing the handwriting on the wall – except maybe when they refuse to call Parliament to sit when they suspect a vote of no-confidence – nevertheless, we seemingly powerless citizens should point out the obvious. We’ve had another booze-fuelled stabbing here on Rarotonga, while many of the states in the USA have legalised ‘the weed’ and seen alcohol consumption (and attendant violence) go down while tax revenues go up. Oh no, our leaders, both political and religious, will say, we can’t have drugs! We’ve been on the booze for so long as a society, so used to the traffic stops, the politicians getting away with drink-driving while the common folks go to court, so desensitised to the booze-fuelled domestic violence and sexual assault, that we don’t even think of alcohol as a drug. Well it is, and so much worse than the weed that has as many legitimate uses as does the coconut tree that we brag about. No, New Zealand will beat the Cook Islands to making this miracle plant legal, and capturing the tax revenue and the decrease in alcohol violence. We’ll be followers instead of leaders, but that’s just the way it is. Legalise It (Name and address supplied)

While our politicians are not known for seeing the handwriting on the wall – except maybe when they refuse to call Parliament to sit when they suspect a vote of no-confidence – nevertheless, we seemingly powerless citizens should point out the obvious. We’ve had another booze-fuelled stabbing here on Rarotonga, while many of the states in the USA have legalised ‘the weed’ and seen alcohol consumption (and attendant violence) go down while tax revenues go up. Oh no, our leaders, both political and religious, will say, we can’t have drugs! We’ve been on the booze for so long as a society, so used to the traffic stops, the politicians getting away with drink-driving while the common folks go to court, so desensitised to the booze-fuelled domestic violence and sexual assault, that we don’t even think of alcohol as a drug. Well it is, and so much worse than the weed that has as many legitimate uses as does the coconut tree that we brag about. No, New Zealand will beat the Cook Islands to making this miracle plant legal, and capturing the tax revenue and the decrease in alcohol violence. We’ll be followers instead of leaders, but that’s just the way it is. Legalise It (Name and address supplied)