Pubdate: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 Source: Esquimalt News (CN BC) Copyright: 2001 Esquimalt News Contact: 538b - Fraser Street, Victoria, BC V9A 6H7 Fax: (250) 381-9283 Website: http://www.esquimaltnews.com/ Author: Mark Browne Pubdate: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) PARTY HOPES POLITICS CAN CHANGE DRUG LAWS Most politicians dread the thought of reporters asking them if they've ever smoked marijuana. Former US president Bill Clinton admitted to taking a couple of puffs off a reefer while in university back in the 1960s - but he didn't inhale the stuff. Ya right. Ask the BC Marijuana Party candidate for the Esquimalt-Metchosin riding and you'll get a much more candid answer. "You bet your booties I have, I've smoked marijuana every day since 1967," states Chris Davies, in his Australian accent, during a shift as a dispatcher for Esquimalt Saanich Taxi. One of the only alternatives to the NDP or Liberals in this riding - so far - - the BC Marijuana Party wants to change current laws so people who have marijuana for personal use are not charged under the criminal code. The party is calling for the decriminalization of pot for personal use. Davies says there is simply no reason why people shouldn't be able to get away with smoking a joint without getting busted. After all, he says, there's no proof smoking weed causes any health problems. On the job, Davies deals with phone call after phone call. And he points to himself as living proof that smoking pot daily hasn't affected his brain in such a way that he can't conduct his busy job of dispatching taxis. "Even though I'm a pot-head I can still do this," says the 53-year-old who immigrated to Canada from Australia in 1976. The Saanich resident, who has worked in occupations ranging from teaching school to running engineering projects before settling down to his current job at Esquimalt Saanich Taxi, says he finds it absurd the main reason possessing marijuana is a crime in Canada is because of pressure from the US government. "We're in the 21st century and were listening to American propaganda that's been around since the 1930s - and it's bullshit," says Davies, adding that Canadian politicians let themselves get bullied by their American counterparts when it comes to our country's drug laws. The BC Marijuana Party isn't only about pushing to have marijuana decriminalized. The party also has a strong stance on hard drugs. Davies says the party supports the idea of treating the abuse of hard drugs, like cocaine and heroin as a health issue, as opposed to a criminal matter. He says since Switzerland began experimenting with handing out heroin to addicts the crime rate in that country has dropped by 60 per cent. Treating hard drug use as a health issue is something that is desperately needed in this part of the country, argues Davies. Such an approach, he contends, is the best way of dealing with the extremely high number of intravenous drug users who are infected with Hepatitis C and/or HIV. That said, Davies is critical of how the provincial NDP passed a resolution urging the federal government to adopt legislation that would see hard drug use treated as a medical problem, yet hasn't actually done anything about it. While Davies doesn't, even for a moment, expect the BC Marijuana Party to win a lot of seats in the provincial election - which has to be called by June 28 - he is hopeful his party will win a few seats. If that happens the party will be in a better position to demand the province take some action on Canada's current drug laws, he says. However, with the power the US has over Canada, and the fact George W. Bush is their president, Davies isn't optimistic Canada's drug laws will change anytime soon. "I have no faith in George W. Bush - he's a scary man," says Davies. Still, Davies says he hopes the supporters he has will get out to vote for him on election day. "A lot of pot smokers are known to forget stuff," he jokes. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager