Pubdate: Wed, 16 Feb 2005
Source: Queen Charlotte Observer (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Queen Charlotte Observer.
Contact:  http://www.qciobserver.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2681
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

OUR EDITOR'S OPINION

Thanks to an advertisement in this newspaper two weeks ago pointing out the 
virtues of marijuana, the subject has had more discussion in and out of our 
pages than usual.

So we thought the timing right to offer a few thoughts of our own.

There is no doubt that organized crime is a problem associated with drugs. 
But is clamping down harder an effective solution?

In the same way that pushing harder against a brick wall produces more 
resistance, continuing strict prohibition may be counterproductive and may 
increase the power of violent, dangerous organizations. At base, money is 
responsible for crime. And when something is illegal, it drives the price 
up - placing it in the hands of criminal gangs.

In the same way prohibition of alcohol in the thirties caused an explosion 
of illegal activity, the prohibition of marijuana has spawned an 
substantial underground trade.

This is not to say the Observer is advocating marijuana use, or its 
decriminalization. We are not. We believe society would be better off with 
neither alcohol nor marijuana (and other drugs) available and used. But we 
also recognize that this is not likely to happen in the foreseeable future; 
and it probably would not be workable anyway.

To those who argue that marijuana has no health effects, they are just 
simply wrong.

There's no doubt marijuana is unhealthy.

At least as bad as smoking cigarettes; and chronic use seems to decrease 
productivity and motivation. But other legal substances cause severe 
problems as well. Alcohol is a killer.

Tobacco is a killer.

But the government has chosen to legalize and heavily regulate these; and 
maybe, just maybe, marijuana might be less harmful as a 
government-regulated substance.

Use would likely decrease. When stricter controls on the tobacco industry 
were introduced, its use declined drastically. Controlling marijuana in a 
similar way to liquor would help keep it away from youth, where it does the 
most harm. Removing the criminal aspect would probably make it less 
alluring; and regulating marijuana would bring it into a realm where its 
tremendous profits could be taxed.

And don't forget, de facto decriminalization is already in place.

Marijuana is technically illegal.

But when was the last time you heard of anyone charged with simple 
possession? It may not even be fair to the police to continue with 
prohibition. Requiring them to enforce an unpopular law damages their 
credibility and discredits the difficult and important work they do, and 
takes away critical resources from tackling problems that are at the very 
root of substance abuse: domestic violence, child abuse, fighting, and 
other truly harmful activities. These are some of the reasons why 
liberalising the law on marijuana may make sense.

There are also arguments for maintaining the status quo, and good arguments 
for tightening the law relating to all drugs, alcohol included, some of 
which have been recently articulated in our letters column.

In the late 1960s, the federal government set up a royal commission to look 
into the question of marijuana and the law. The LeDain Commission report 
made a number of recommendations, most of which were never implemented. It 
is high time (so to speak) that another look was made at the issue.

And this time the government ought not just to commission and receive the 
report, it ought to act on its recommendations.
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MAP posted-by: Beth