RCMP Deaths Confirm Marijuana’s Strong Hand in Canada

The murder of four Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers by a marijuana grower in Alberta last week is one more proof that Canada’s growing decriminalization movement is a step in the wrong direction.

Canadians refer to most marijuana farms as “grow-ops” as if they were harmless mom-and-pop operations. But the reality is that they are increasingly operated by experienced criminal gangs who sell most of their product south of the border. By trying to decriminalize marijuana in steps, Canada has succeeded in creating a new criminal class in its midst.

I have lived along the US-Canadian border most of my life, and love Canada perhaps as much as any non-citizen can love another country. I’ve been in six of its provinces, I take sides in the Edmonton vs. Calgary rivalry (I prefer Edmonton), and I routinely take visitors touring through British Columbia’s wine country (just a short drive from my house). Seeing the destructive results of a pro-pot political agenda up north grieves me deeply.

In sad homage to this turn of events, I have re-written the Canadian national anthem (a great anthem, by the way), into something more appropriate. If you don’t already know the tune, you can listen to it here.

O Cannabis!
You conquered all our land!
We rue the day we dropped our guard for thee.

THC, we see thee rise,
Paranoia strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Cannabis, we live in fear of thee!

God help us now
We’ve got the weed.

O Cannabis, our will is yours to lead.
O Cannabis, your haze is all we see!