Pubdate: Thu, 25 Oct 2012
Source: Chief, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Whistler Printing & Publishing
Website: http://www.squamishchief.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2414
Author: David Burke

MCINTYRE ENDORSES MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

Local MLA joins colleague Heed in calling for pot regulation

Local MLA Joan McIntyre this week joined a growing list of politicians
in endorsing the legalization and regulation of marijuana in British
Columbia.

McIntyre, a two-term MLA who a few weeks ago announced that she will
not seek re-election in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast during the May
2013 provincial election, announced her position in a statement issued
on Thursday (Oct. 18).

"I join my colleague MLA Kash Heed in support of the legalization of
marijuana," McIntyre said. "Like MLA Heed I believe that ending the
prohibition of marijuana will make our communities safer by taking the
industry out of the hands of organized crime."

Heed, MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview and a former police officer and
B.C. solicitor general, also endorsed the legalization and regulation
of marijuana this week.

"Kash Heed and other experts, such as Dr. Julio Montaner and Dr. Evan
Wood of the organization Stop the Violence B.C., believe that
marijuana prohibition increases gang violence in our province -
violence which does not take place in a silo, but rather on the
streets of our communities, putting B.C. families at risk," McIntyre
said.

"Prohibition has required a substantial investment in our police
services, and places a heavy financial burden on the taxpayer. I
believe, as my colleague Kash Heed does, that it draws police
resources and capacity away from other, more pragmatic areas which
would make our communities safer.

"In spite of the dedicated efforts of our police in B.C., a war on
drugs only serves to drive organized crime further underground; it
fails to end the cycle of violence and drug use, but succeeds in
draining our coffers.

"I believe we need a paradigm shift from prohibition to one of
regulation and taxation, making B.C. safer for us all."

In recent months municipal politicians including Vancouver Mayor
Gregor Robertson have come out in favour of decriminalization of
marijuana. On Sept. 26, the Union of B.C. Municipalities adopted a
resolution endorsing decriminalization. Before that vote, in response
to a motion from Coun. Bryan Raiser, Squamish council voted 4-3 in
favour of the UBCM resolution endorsing decriminalization
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