| Essential information for an informed debate about cannabis policy. |
 SUPPORT for Cannabis Law Reform |
OPPOSITION to Cannabis Law Reform: |
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| Liberal | Police Unions | |
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The Fraser Institute - Conservative Think Tank June 9, 2004 - The Fraser Institute 'The policies that we have in place just aren't effective in suppressing the activity,' says SFU economist Stephen Easton. 'It seems to me one reasonable alternative is that of legalization -- treat any social problems directly and openly, and then benefit from the revenue... generated by the marijuana industry.' |
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The John Howard Society of Canada Excerpt from "Senate Cannabis Discussion Paper Reaction": |
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Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) policyalternatives.ca
Moratorium Needed on Punishment Legislation Tracking the Politics of 'Crime' and Punishment in Canada
by Dawn Moore and Erin Donohue |
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Retired BC Judge Jerry Paradis is a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. LEAP website Audio Interview with Jerry Paradis |
Jerry Paradis - Retired B..C judge and member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Prohibition establishes a black market, he said, and “keeps prices artificially high ... attracting organized crime.” Paradis argued prohibition betrays the role government seeks to play – the protector of public health – by driving drug use and abuse underground, contributing to death, illness and the spread of disease. “It is also a serious and unnecessary drain on the resources of police, prosecutors, courts and corrections,” said Paradis. “Ending prohibition is not giving up. It is nothing to do with admitting defeat. It is nothing more than recognition that a policy adopted almost a century ago for all the wrong reasons does not only fail to yield any results, it has created unintended consequences. It endangers our children far more than the drugs do.” |
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 Eugene Oscapella is a lawyer and criminology professor at the University of Ottawa. Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy |
Eugene Oscapella - Ottawa lawyer, founding member of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, and former chair and member of the policy committee of the Canadian Criminal Justice Association http://cfdp.ca Pot policy creating too many criminals? “Going into the 21st century we should know better than to bludgeon the use of this drug with criminal law,” he said. |
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 Dr. David Bowering is a member of the Health Officers Council of British Columbia (HOC) |
Dr. David Bowering - Member of the Health Officers Council of British Columbia Bowering in Favour of Legalizing Pot “The federal government needs to take a leadership role at the national and international levels in actively initiating reform of current psychoactive drug laws, including a review and revision of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, to create regulatory frameworks for drugs that will allow governments at all levels to better address the harms associated with the production, trade, distribution, and use of these substances,” the [H.O.C.] report states.
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Charles Adler In the dog days of summer, the legalization of marijuana discussion will once again fill the vacuum left by much of the political news that takes a vacation in July and August.
The story is out now that marijuana busts in Canada for simple use, are up by 30%. What does it mean? Not very much in the way of cutting demand for dope. Not very much in the way of cutting demand for harder drugs. Not very much in the way of helping society to deal with other forms of crime. You don't have to be a cynic to conclude that our cops are being told to go out there and pick the low hanging fruit. Might we all be be better off if they put the boots to more serious crime? Cops will say if they are given the benefit of annonymity that busting users for simple posession is a huge waste of resources for busy police and clogged courts. Kathleen Parker is a frequent guest on Adler on Line, had one of her most recent columns published in the National Post. Her politics are usually on the right. But her War on Marijuana politics are not. Her recent headline reads, "Bogarting Sanity." You have to wonder how much longer the U.S. and Canada will be Bogarting Common Sense. The fastest path to a 21st century society that makes sense is smoking out 19th century laws that don't. |
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