The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible - Bastiat Institute

It will be found an
unjust and unwise
jealousy to deprive
a man of his natural
liberty upon a
supposition that he
may abuse it.
Oliver Cromwell,
1599-1658
You choose your own
goals based on your
own values.
Extract from
Jonathan’s Guiding
Principles
Chapter 35 • Merryberries
have the same fi nancial effect? By banning the
use of marijuana, thousands of non-aggressive
people are put in jail all over the world. This
places a fi nancial strain on the economy as these
people are made non-productive but still have to
be fed and clothed by the rest of society. By the
time these marijuana users come out of jail they
have been schooled in the methods of aggressive
crimes.
Governments say they want to create job
opportunities. Surely allowing the farming
of marijuana hemp and the manufacture of its
many by-products would help alleviate the job
shortages and raise living standards? In countries
where research in marijuana has been allowed, it
has been found to help with glaucoma and with
the pain and constant vomiting caused by certain
anti-cancer therapies.
So instead of governments helping the poor
and sick, and instead of allowing individuals to
relax quietly at home without disturbing others,
politicians create victims by throwing innocent
people into jail and making hardened criminals
out of them.
All the time and money spent on easy-going
marijuana users could be more constructively
used to deal with the real crimes of violence.
Background
Canada reformed its medical marijuana laws in
1999. Those who suffer cancer across the border
in America still have to fl ee to Canada to get this
form of medical help from Canadian doctors.
The citizens of Canada can reduce their medical
bills by growing their own marijuana.
In Belgium it has been made legal for people
over the age of 18 to smoke marijuana in private,
as long as they do not disturb public order.
For years doctors in the Netherlands have
recommended marijuana to cancer patients, to
stimulate appetite and to battle pain and nausea.
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