Pubdate: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 Source: Boston Weekly Dig (MA) Copyright: 2002 Boston Weekly Dig Contact: http://www.weeklydig.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1515 Authors: Ria Ferich, Joe Bonni Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) POT SPOTS UPDATE The Canadian Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs released a report on September 4 announcing that the current prohibition of marijuana use should end. "Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and public health issue," said the committee's chairperson, Senator Pierre Nolin, a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. The panel unanimously recommended legalizing sales and use of marijuana and hashish to anyone over 16, and allowing citizens to grow the drug for their own use. Also recommended was that the government regulate sales and production just like cigarettes and beer, that the product be taxed and some of the proceeds pay for research on health affects. The Canadian government will make a decision to revise Canada's drug laws next year. To those who have been following Canada's approach to marijuana policy, this may not come as too big a surprise. Canada has been consistently more progressive regarding its approach to dealing with both medical marijuana and industrial hemp, and for the last few years and despite constant criticism from the US, has managed to take slow but deliberate steps towards decriminalizing pot for adults. Perhaps the US should stop criticizing and take a look in the mirror. The recently released 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported that 15.9 million Americans age 12 and older used an illegal drug in the month before the survey interview. This is 7.1 percent of the population in 2001, compared to an estimated 6.3 percent the year before. Think about it - - current law makes approximately one of every dozen US citizens a federal criminal. When you go to the polls this November, remember, the people who think the War on Drugs is working are the same people running the War on Terrorism. - --- MAP posted-by: Jackl