Pubdate: Sat, 11 May 2013
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Kamloops Daily News
Contact: http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Author: Les Leyne
WHY STAY QUIET ON MARIJUANA LAWS?
There's a tantalizing 10-page gap in the B.C. government's response
to a freedom of information request.
An unidentified media outlet asked for any records in the Justice
Ministry dealing with the possible impact of decisions in Washington
state and Colorado to approve recreational marijuana use.
The request produced this week copies of a handful of earnest
entreaties from citizens to the premier to go with the flow and give
up on prohibition.
But 10 pages were redacted under section 14 of the FOI law. That
allows the government to withhold information that could reasonably
be expected to harm law enforcement.
The examples in that exemption include material that would prejudice
the defence of Canada, harm the detection of espionage, reveal
confidential sources or criminal intelligence, and so on.
The blank pages conjure up vivid imagining of what the Justice
Ministry has in its files when it comes to Washington voters'
decision last winter through referendum to relax state dope laws.
But they will stay secret for the time being.
The government is holding its cards close to its vest. So is Premier
Christy Clark, who refuses to go near the marijuana issue. Asked
during the televised debate if she favours decriminalization, she
ignored the question completely and sneered at NDP leader Adrian Dix
for answering yes. ("That says a lot about your priorities.")
Green Party leader Jane Sterk also supports decriminalization, while
Conservative leader John Cummins said B.C. needs to talk to Ottawa
and Washington about it.
Clark's reticence is uncharacteristic. She's usually more than happy
to pronounce on whatever topic is at hand. But reporters have given
her numerous chances to bat it around in the past two years and she
has yet to take a swing.
Citizens have also prodded her. One of the letters released this week
says: "I care about B.C. and I hope and pray the premier can get the
message. 75 per cent want recreational weed. She has no chance of
winning unless there is a referendum provincially legalizing the use.
The revenues will go to Washington state if a move is not made."
Another writer said: "Will it take guts to pull it off? You bet it
will, and I think you have what it takes to do it. Please do what you
know is right."
But the furthest the B.C. Liberals will tip-toe into the marijuana
debate is to cautiously endorse consideration of a "study."
Stop the Violence B.C., a non-partisan group that has been lobbying
for decriminalization, questioned the four parties about a narrow,
specific item on their agenda. The group asked if the parties would
prevent any kind of federal research trial to investigate whether
taxation and strict regulation of adult marijuana use could reduce
profits to organized crime and prevent youth access to the drug.
The NDP and the Greens supported the idea. The Liberals said Ottawa
is responsible for marijuana law, and if the federal government
decided to do such a trial, "our government would certainly give
serious consideration to any provincial approvals that would then be required."
The coalition also commissioned a poll that found citizens are much
more definitive. Three-quarters of those polled like the idea of such a study.
But even that mild, non-committal response to a hypothetical question
is being taken as a small win by the coalition.
The Washington state referendum result created a burst of interest in
the age-old topic, but it didn't last long enough to carry into the
election campaign. (It doesn't help that B.C. Marijuana Party leader
Marc Emery is still in jail in the U.S.)
A separate pro-marijuana group is still planning to start a petition
drive this fall for a B.C. referendum similar to the Washington one.
But meantime, it's baby steps towards a study that B.C. parties would consider.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom