Pubdate: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2005 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Author: Kane Slater Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) MARIJUANA USERS' RIGHTS VIOLATED Unwilling To Offer Same Protection Re Letter, Jan. 21. Letter writer Michael Stewart refers to homosexuals as "the last remaining sector of Canadians not to enjoy the full benefits of the Charter." While homosexuals should, of course, have the benefit of all Charter rights, there is actually a much larger group of Canadians whose Charter rights are not respected -- the more than four million Canadians who choose to use marijuana. Imprisoning people for using or selling a healthy herb is a grossly unreasonable violation of most of the rights supposedly guaranteed by our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Most obviously, it is a violation of "the right to life, liberty and security of the person; the right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure; the right not to be arbitrarily imprisoned and the right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment." Kane Slater Toronto - --- MAP posted-by: Beth