Pubdate: Thu, 09 Apr 2015
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2015 The Edmonton Journal
Contact: 
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor.html
Website: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Mark Kennedy
Page: A12

PM, OAS AT ODDS OVER DRUG POLICY

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper may find himself at odds with 
some other Western Hemisphere leaders who want to relax drug laws for 
offences such as marijuana use and provide alternatives to jail time.

Harper flies Friday to Panama for the two-day Summit of the Americas, 
where more than 30 leaders from the Organization of American States 
(OAS) will gather.

There has been a growing movement among some of those nations - 
particularly those in South America devastated by violence from drug 
cartels - to find new ways to tackle the drug problem.

At the past summit, in Colombia in 2012, Harper resisted calls to 
consider decriminalization of some drugs.

On Wednesday, the prime minister's spokesman indicated Harper hasn't 
changed his mind.

"We are opposed to decriminalization because dangerous and addictive 
drugs tear families apart, promote criminal behaviour and destroy 
lives," Rob Nicol, the prime minister's director of communications, 
said in a written statement.

But the OAS is seized with the issue.

It says there is "consensus" on four points: the drug problem needs 
to be attacked from a "public health perspective;" reforms must be 
enacted to "provide alternatives to incarceration;" organized crime 
is a "major player" in the problem; and it's essential to strengthen 
judicial and law-and-order institutions in some countries.

OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza says the "war on drugs" 
hasn't worked and that it is time to have a debate about solutions 
"without fear of breaking taboos."

With a federal election set for Oct. 19, Harper is aware drug policy 
will be an issue on the campaign trail.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau will advocate legalizing marijuana 
through a regulated system - a move the party says would take pot out 
of the hands of organized crime and make it harder for young people to obtain.

On a related front, the Conservative-dominated House of Commons 
passed a bill last month that makes it difficult to open 
safe-injection sites for drug users.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom