Pubdate: Thu, 15 Jan 2009
Source: Langley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009 Langley Times
Contact:  http://www.langleytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1230
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n043/a07.html
Author: Robert Sharpe

SUPPLY AND DEMAND PREVAILS

Editor: Re: Tom Fletcher's column (The Times, Jan. 14).

RCMP marijuana eradication efforts are no doubt well-intended, but
ultimately counterproductive. The drug war's distortion of immutable
laws of supply and demand causes big money to grow on little trees.

Canadian tax dollars are wasted on anti-drug strategies that only make
marijuana growing more profitable. In 2002, the Canadian Senate
offered a common sense alternative to prohibition when the Special
Committee on Illegal Drugs concluded that marijuana is relatively
benign, marijuana prohibition contributes to organized crime, and law
enforcement efforts have little impact on patterns of use.

Consider the experience of Canada's southern neighbour, the former
land of the free and current record holder in citizens incarcerated.
Based on findings that criminal records are inappropriate as health
interventions, a majority of European Union countries have
decriminalized marijuana.

Despite marijuana prohibition and perhaps because of 'forbidden fruit'
appeal, lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the U.S. than any
European country. The short-term health effects of marijuana are
inconsequential compared to the long-term effects of criminal records.

Canada should follow the lead of Europe and Just Say No to the
American Inquisition.

The results of a comparative study of European and U.S. rates of drug
use can be found at http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/espad_pr.pdf.

MTF is funded with U.S. government grants.

United Nations stats are available at http://www.unodc.org/

The July 2008 World Health Organization survey study can be found at:

http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi.1371/journal.pmed.0050141&ct=1&SESSIDo9045006b9979c06919d5e9fb373b0b.

For additional information, please see the Canadian Senate
report:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/ille-e/press-e/04sep02-e.htm.

Robert Sharpe

policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake