December 1, 2011Dear Sir,Let me add my support to the movement towards decriminalising small amounts of the controlled drug marijuana. This is long overdue and way behind the world’s view and actions. For far too long, Bermudians have not spoken out or exposed themselves to topics of this nature because of fear of retribution. There was a march where one of the vocal supporters of the event failed to show and it was left to a very few brave few to stand for what they believed in. I also remember a police photographer standing on the corner of Church and Court Streets in Hamilton taking photographs. Let’s be clear, this drug is used by all segments of our society, and many people indulge in it, from white and blue collar workers, to former police and customs officers that I know. Marijuana users may well equal the number of people who consume alcohol.Many people live in fear of not only using the drug, but also of being drug tested within the workplace. I am not advocating the use of the drug during work hours, but the fact of the matter is that he/she could have used it the day before and not during working hours and still be penalised for using it because of the length of time it takes to exit the body system. How it will be applied to the work environment once, or if it becomes law, is going to be challenging. How to clarify when it was used is going to be the challenge. Some of you may remember a man who was dismissed from his post because he said in a television show that in the “final analysis, all he cared about is that the individual did their job”. Today should a similar situation occur, would a person be afforded the protection under the Human Rights Act? Bermuda, since November 1998, has enjoyed a freedom never seen before by all the citizens in this country. We must change because we have a government in place which has an understanding of the real problems that exist, but cannot achieve it if you have issues that you can’t, or are afraid to, express publicly or privately.BROWNLOW ADDERLEYSouthampton