Put away your rolling papers and hide your stash.

Legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes is not the first step toward decriminalization.

By saying it's OK, with a prescription, for the terminally ill or those with serious medical conditions, the government is only recognizing that some of those people are going to smoke pot whether it's legal or not.

It's also given the potential benefits of marijuana as a medical treatment a new legitimacy and researchers new reasons to study whether smoking a joint is all it's cracked up to be.

That's thanks to $7.5 million committed to research pot's effectiveness.

Maybe it could even come up with a safer way to deliver the drug ...other than smoking.

Years of dialogue, debate and dithering came to what looks like an end last week when our city councillors at long last got off the fence and chose a design and site for a new double-surface arena.

It is easy to be critical of the process. After all, we've known for decades that the Gerry Murphy arena couldn't last forever, and yet it took municipal government far longer than anyone ever suspected to settle on the best way to replace it.

But give credit where credit is due. The current city council had the courage to commit to something their predecessors couldn't: spending more than $10 million on a project that will probably be the biggest single spending item they'll ever deal with. The skaters of Yellowknife appreciate it.

We applaud the NWT Metis Alliance for bringing to light the fact that the sports fishery at Prelude Lake near Yellowknife is close to collapse.

After completing the second year of a comprehensive three-year study of the lake's fishery, a user survey, also conducted by the alliance, is proving that the sports fishery at Prelude is in tremendous trouble.

The alliance is not only outraged at learning the lake has been virtually "fished out" but also by the lack of concern shown by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the territorial government.

Now they are rightfully sounding the alarm bell. To quote alliance president Clem Paul, "The government has been slack-ass about implementing rules and regulations."

We agree.

Anglers last year complained to Yellowknifer that with only one fisheries officer working in the field full-time in the North Slave region, "you could go home with 20 trout and who'd stop you?"

What troubles us most is that the territorial government is so gung ho at boosting tourism to the region, and yet it appears to be forgetting to consider the impact of those visitors on one of the most pleasurable pastimes for our visitors -- fishing on Prelude Lake. Further, why spend so much money expanding the Prelude Lake park, if there aren't any fish there for campers to catch?

Other provinces have proven through catch-and-release and stocking programs that fisheries on the verge of collapse can be revived. The Metis Alliance is correct in demanding some immediate action.

Whether it's a fish hatchery or a moratorium, it's clear that by the time Fisheries and Oceans gets the final report by the Metis Alliance in 2003 the time for more study will have long since passed.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

In a time when spoiled athletes with lousy attitudes making obscene amounts of money seem to get all the headlines, what a heartwarming announcement from the National Hockey League Player's Association this week.

Almost $100,000 worth of hockey equipment for our Kivalliq youth from the Goals and Dreams fund should wash away a lot of the bitter taste left in local fans' mouths from the likes of Alexei Yashin during the past few years.

Unfortunately, it's the antics of guys like Yashin and Dallas netminder Ed Belfour that get most of the headlines.

However, the truth of the matter in hockey circles is that for every Yashin, there's five Trevor Lindens supplying free private boxes and/or tickets for underprivileged or sick kids.

For every Belfour trying to buy his way out of a shameful situation, there's a Curtis Joseph earning his way into a sick child's heart during a hospital visit.

Hockey players are the best in the world for remembering their roots and giving something back to the communities that support them.

Yes, hockey has its problems and a number of athletes now play for their paycheques rather than the right to hoist Lord Stanley.

But, compared to most professional sports, hockey players are still very much in a league of their own.

The Goals and Dream fund is yet another example of NHL stars, both past and present, going the extra mile to help kids in less fortunate areas experience the joys of the coolest game on ice.

It just so happens, thanks to the efforts of the Jammin' on the Bay organizers and the regional kids fund the festival has spawned, it's the Kivalliq's turn to benefit from the NHLPA's good will.

Make an effort to see the faces of the kids in your hamlet who receive one of the 140 sets of hockey equipment coming their way.

Then, the next time you're watching, reading or listening to the antics of a spoiled professional athlete, remember those smiling faces.

It will help you keep things in perspective. Not only is hockey the coolest game in the world played by some of the greatest guys -- it is Canadian and it is ours.

To the NHLPA, thanks guys!

Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum

Multiple efforts are being made on several fronts to make Inuvik a more vibrant and attractive place to live five to 10 years down the road. A big project under way for some time has reached the draft stage, namely the Community Revitalization Vision Plan.

The draft plan is the latest move by the town toward deciding what can and should be done that will enhance the community. Some of the proposals touch upon areas the town is already addressing, such as cleaning up litter and disposing of garbage better.

Other proposals include planting trees and shrubs at Jim Koe Park and along the downtown. And while all the proposals are to be reviewed by town officials, the plan nevertheless offers an interesting glimpse into what Inuvik might look like before long.

Doing their part

Speaking of garbage, the recycling program appears to be taking off. For about two months now Inuvik residents have been able to put some recyclable products into clear bags, and the results are starting to show up at the town dump.

Garbage is truly one of those things to which the adage "out of sight, out of mind" applies. What is often not realized is that the more material that can be diverted from the dump, the better.

Recycling materials benefits the environment and extends the lives of landfills, thus saving municipalities money and benefiting all residents. That should be borne in mind when putting recyclable materials in those clear bags.

Getting tourists' attention

A concerted effort is starting in order to attract more tourists. The NWT Arctic Tourism Association is receiving funds from the territorial government, plus the Canadian Tourism Commission.

The move is long overdue, according to Dennis Zimmermann. When the Inuvik resident was elected to the association board last fall, he said the NWT wasn't on the map when it comes to international tourist destinations.

Now Zimmermann says the increased marketing budget will allow the NWT to at least get back in the game -- even if only from the sidelines.

This development should end up bringing more tourists, and their welcome dollars, to the Inuvik region. The fact the town is working hard to improve its appearance should also serve to attract tourists, and please residents at the same time.

Editorial Comment
Dave Sullivan
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson

There are some parallels between efforts to revive Fort Simpson's economy now and a community-based effort in October 1995.

There are some differences too; mainly that 1995 looked at the entire Deh Cho region while this year's effort is more focussed on Fort Simpson.

Both efforts got started by breaking into small groups at public meetings and brainstorming. A flipchart at each table with at least four bright colours of markers are standard at these gatherings.

Sometimes well-paid facilitators who organize the meetings go all out, providing markers that smell like strawberries, blueberries and oranges.

A classic line from the 1995 effort, called The Deh Cho Means Business, is the observation that "participants saw business development as one of the cornerstones of the future economy."

The most interesting part of that report is the ranking of priorities. Education and healing came out on top, ahead of more direct economic matters like natural resources, technology and tourism development.

Comments from groups in these public brainstorming sessions are usually similar and general in nature. That can be frustrating to the well-meaning citizens who participate.

If the community didn't go through the exercise though, the entire effort would be subject to criticism right from the starting gate. It would give an opening for critics to charge that the public was not consulted.

Community economic development is an elusive beast. The best thing that can happen from the latest effort is a realization that people can sometimes take charge of their economic destiny. Except in Fort Simpson, there is a lot of frustration on that point. Things seem at a standstill because of politics.

It is easy to believe that aboriginal political leaders are being indecisive and even incompetent because of economic opportunities they have let pass by, except perhaps in Fort Liard.

But when you tune out the static and listen more closely to these leaders, a consistent message is coming through despite some divided opinions among constituents.

Because they are thinking over a much longer time frame than anyone has before, potential investors don't get it. Depending on your point of view, the political gridlock that will probably remain for another decade is a short-term thing. Not nearly as important as the future of the land and its resources.