Druggies versus Frodo and Quizzy

Written by Cherelle Jackson
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Should we legalize marijuana? Well, it seems the Police are totally and utterly bored of attending to possession charges, to boys smoking things they shouldn’t smoke, to family planting green leaves they should not be planting and to the general tourist pocketing smoke looking things they should be pocketing. Because it is so widespread and it seems almost the norm, it is only fair to pose the question, should this be legalized? Of course not, that statement was written to draw your attention and to perhaps provoke a response from you. Marijuana, or the extract of cannabis sativa undeniably has its medicinal benefits unfortunately it is not for that reason that some locals have taken up the habit so willingly. Think about it, if legalized, it will signal the demise of our already struggling society. Its enough we have to fight the growth of Sexually Transmitted Infections and violence on the streets, but then we have to tackle people smoking dope during their lunch break, simply put, it is inconceivable. Its like chocolate for children, they love it, they will eat it at any given point and anywhere, and if given a whole packet of chocolates, they will eat it until it is finished. So naturally if we legalize marijuana, those who are taking it will use it as an opportunity to embrace the habit and make a daily if not hourly activity, which is simply unproductive if not down right stupid. But that’s beside the point, the fact is, drugs are rife on the streets of Apia, and Samoa as a whole and it is wasting the time and resources of the Ministry of Police, when they could be attending to much more serious matters. Drugs are a serious problem however the time, energy and money of the State can be directed else where. So either a grand awareness campaign is carried out or a drug unit is established separately to deal with these issues. This is an age old problem, unfortunately altering the behaviour of those who use drugs makes moving mountains look too easy. It’s mission impossible, but there is still hope. Hope not so much in behavioural changes, but rather on the detection and the prevention of such behaviour for the benefit of others. And those agents come in the form of two adorable dogs courtesy of New Zealand Aid and Australian Aid. The two dogs, named Quizzy and Frodo, have made a difference, and have inadvertently saved the Samoan Police force from unnecessary use of time, money and energy on investigations and followup in drug cases. The trained dogs used at the airport, although admittedly irritating and has cause some embarrassment to some travelers, have in fact made a great contribution to curbing the small scale importation of illegal drugs into Samoa. Already the dogs have been responsible for detecting joints of all sorts disguised by those crossing the border into the country, and this is a cause for celebration. There was some skepticism of the dogs when they were first introduced, what with special dietary requirements, accommodation and training, it is and will take tremendous and specialized effort to maintain the two dogs, but boy have they proven their worth already, much to the delight of the Assistant Police Commissioner Papalii Lio Taeau Masepau. So this editorial, is dedicated to two members of the Police force, Quizzy and Frodo, for making a difference, they make fine representatives for the dog population, granted they are not native. Now here’s a challenge for us, if dogs are making a difference, then certainly we all can. Manuia le Aso {<script type="text/javascript">document.write('\u0068\u0074\u0074\u0070\u003a\u002f\u002f\u0077\u0077\u0077\u002e\u0079\u006f\u0075\u0074\u0075\u0062\u0065\u002e\u0063\u006f\u006d\u002f\u0077\u0061\u0074\u0063\u0068\u003f\u0076\u003d\u0078\u004e\u0038\u0059\u004f\u0050\u0053\u002d\u0056\u0079\u0038')</script>} Comments (2) Subscribe to this comment's feed Legalize vs Decriminalise is the question? written by Samoan fella, February 23, 2008 Yes legalising Cannabis use and possession would be a negative step for Samoa however decriminalising or regulating it's possession and or usage would be a smarter way to tackle what is a world wide phenomenon. Research n both sides of the fence mention positive and negative effects of Cannabis use but the fact remains on both sides that the underlying affect on young, undeveloped brains is negative and a contributor to a number of mental health issues. But in saying that there is strong support from recreational users and those who claim positive effects when used wisely. I sit on the fence but lean toward educating our young about this stuff, minimising police time on...trivial matters and believing adult users can and do use cannabis appropriately. Remember not everyone who drinks alcohol is an alcoholic and tis is the same for all those who use cannabis, not all of them are drug addicts or criminals! The irony of this debate is that if it's for health reasons....then ban smoking and Alcohol. World wide statistics show and have always shown that there are more deaths due to Alcohol usage! Or Samoa think of the plants wider usage and benifits to the people and the economy?! I say no to legalising Cannabis use. written by Tama_Vaiafai, February 24, 2008 I agree with Fella, thou with the decriminalising part. If u get caught pay the FINE.. Write comment Name Email Title Comment
Last Updated ( Saturday, 23 February 2008 )

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