Pubdate: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 Source: Metro (CN BC) Copyright: Metro 2007 Contact: http://www.metronews.ca/home.aspx?city=vancouver Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775 Author: Jared Ferrie Note: Picture caption: "The United States is the bully of the world," said Campbell yesterday in an interview before addressing a crowd gathered for the Vancouver premier of the National Film Board documentary Damage Done: The Drug War Odyssey. EX-MAYOR ADDRESSES FILM CROWD Canada should legalize and tax marijuana according to Senator Larry Campbell, who blamed the U.S. for pressuring Ottawa to follow its war on drugs approach. Marijuana smoke hung thick in the air outside the Vancouver International Film Centre (1181 Seymour St.), and joints were being rolled openly on the counter just inside the entrance. Campbell, a former Vancouver drug cop and mayor, said science has proven that the substance is relatively harmless. "Nobody's ever died from marijuana, so what's the big deal?" said Campbell, who is featured in the documentary. America found allies in Ottawa with last year's election of a Conservative government, he added. He said the Tories wanted to shut down Vancouver's safe heroin injection site despite numerous scientific studies proving its effectiveness. Campbell said drugs like heroin and cocaine should be controlled, but their use should not be treated as a criminal offence. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman