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8 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2017 WATERLOO CHRONICLE 630 Riverbend Drive, Unit 104 Kitchener, Ontario N2K 3S2 519-579-7166 Fax: 519-579-2029 www.waterloochronicle.ca Donna LUELO PUBLISHER EDITORIAL Bob VRBANAC EDITOR ext. 2305 editorial@waterloochronicle.ca bvrbanac@waterloochronicle.ca Adam JACKSON REPORTER ext. 2308 ajackson@waterloochronicle.ca Twitter: @KWAdamJ Samantha BEATTIE REPORTER ext. 2229 sambeattie@waterloochronicle.ca Twitter: @Samantha_KB ADVERTISING 519-579-7166 Ted ANDERSON, 579-7166 REGIONAL AD MANAGER tanderson@waterloochronicle.ca SALES LEAD Michelle STEVENS, ext. 2232 mstevens@waterloochronicle.ca SALES REPRESENTATIVE Cassandra DELLOW, ext. 2306 cdellow@waterloochronicle.ca SALES REPRESENTATIVE Aaron MURRAY, ext. 2304 amurray@waterloochronicle.ca CLASSIFIED 519-895-5230 CIRCULATION 519-895-5690 Canadian Publications Mail Sales Publication Agreement Number 40050478 International Standard Serial Number ASSN 0832-3410 Audited Circulation: 31,292 The Waterloo Chronicle is published each Thursday by Metroland Media Group Ltd. ONTARIO PRESS COUNCIL The Waterloo Chronicle is a member of The Ontario Press Council, which considers complaints against mem- ber newspapers. Any complaint about news, opinions advertising or conduct should first be taken to the newspaper. Unresolved complaints can be brought to: Ontario Press Council, 2 Carlton Street, Suite 1706, Toronto, ON., M5B 1J3. COPYRIGHT The contents of this newspaper are protected by copyright and may be used only for personal non-com- mercial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is pro- hibited. To make any use of this mate- rial you must first obtain the permis- sion of the owner of the copyright. For further information contact Bob Vrbanac, Managing Editor, Waterloo Chronicle, 630 Riverbend Drive, Suite 104, Kitchener, Ontario N2J 3H8. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor must contain the writer's full name, address and tele- phone number. Addresses and tele- phone numbers are used only for veri- fication purposes. Names will not be withheld. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject any contribution for brevity or legal purposes. Letters may be submitted by email to editorial@water- loochronicle.ca. A lthough writing about -- and playing -- the goofy game of golf has been a passion of mine for decades, there's another pas- sion I have which is rapidly gaining in the goofy depart- ment. And that would be my fas- cination with politics, both Canadian and American. Growing up in legendary Niagara Falls in a time when TV was antenna-related, the only stations we could get were Buff alo-based so we had an overload of U.S. news. But, with a mother who stressed to me to pay attention to what was going on in the world, that was � ne. For a long stretch, starting with Harry S. Truman's stun- ning upset of New York gov- ernor Thomas Dewey, I had an amazing streak of picking who would be elected presi- dent of the giant nation below our border. Although the streak ended with the first Bush presi- dency, it became completely shattered with the crowning of the current boss, Donald Trump. I do not claim to know what prompted Americans to elect the pompous, arrogant and deceitful Trump. � e country has economic troubles, Hillary Clinton had baggage and, with no disre- spect intended, there are a lot of people who just aren't very bright and just might think the host of a goofy game show would make a good president. In many aspects, Trump might be the epitome of what every Yank would strive for or want in his life. He was born into a rich family, earning a vast fortune himself. He surrounded himself with trophy wives and pretty women. He survived some bankruptcies which appar- ently helped him to avoid paying a bunch of employees. He has also hasn't released his tax records. Which I bet would show offshore accounts. Despite all this, he went on to become the presi- dent of the world's greatest nation. It doesn't get much bet- ter than that for a champion liar who doesn't know what's coming out of his mouth. Most of the time he's trashing people. Yes, the world is in for some hectic times and here's just three on my prediction list. In a country that loves the right to bear arms, some nut- bar will attempt to shoot him. I also think he will be thrown out of office by his own government -- impeach- ment, it's called. Last, and by far the worst action, he will declare war on another nation. Let's just hope it's not Canada. While some people regard the talked-about legalization of marijuana as a grey area that's causing confusion on the streets, the fact of the matter is it's still illegal -- unless you have a license to buy it or produce it. Local police services must uphold the letter of the law, and that's exactly what local officers did last week by swooping down on a local dispensary operation and laying charges. As much as local dispensaries claim to be all in it for the patient, a growing demand for the drug has created an opportu- nity for such operations to make a profi t if they're willing to stick their neck out, and some are paying a hefty price. Police cited a local dispensary's location near a high school as one reason for swooping in and making arrests last week. But the reality is that marijuana laws are antiquated and it's high time for the federal government to regulate it or get o� the pot. � ere are many concerns with how legalization is carried out. Th ere will be imperfections, however the rules governing pot will be no diff erent than those governing other, more argu- ably harmful substances being sold today, like tobacco. One thing is certain -- local law enforcement agencies have much better things to do these days than worry about weed. Once regarded as a vile substance akin to the Devil himself, Mary Jane has never killed a soul, at least directly. Compared with other substances, including a growing number of fentanyl- laced opioids that are killing people everyday, society would be better served by putting police resources toward such life- threatening matters, leaving people to smoke their weed, albeit in a regulated environment. A constant game of cat-and-mouse does little to benefi t any- one, including those patients with debilitating conditions who bene� t greatly from the medicinal uses of marijuana. As the federal government continues to stall and study, it's these people who are truly caught in the middle for no good reason. Suburban Newspapers of America VIEWPOINT WATERLOO CHRONICLE CHRONICLE EDITORIAL Preparing for the worst with Trump High time for change SKIP'S CHIPS BILL "SKIP" JOHNS