Pubdate: Wed, 11 Nov 2015
Source: Record, The (CN QU)
Copyright: 2015 The Sherbrooke Record
Contact:  http://www.sherbrookerecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3194
Author: Mike McDevitt
Page: 6

THE GREAT DEBATE

A recent survey by Forum Research tells us that, in the last year,
almost one of five Canadians used marijuana for recreational purposes,
a proportion that would almost double in the coming year if the wacky
weed were legalized. For the business minded, this would represent a
potential market of about 8 million people. In addition, the same
survey reports that a full 59 per cent of us support the legalization,
control, and taxation of the plant. We've come a long way, it seems,
but it's taken a very long time.

In 1972, the Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs,
commonly referred to as the "LeDain Commission," after its Chair, Dean
of Osgoode Law School and future Supreme Court Justice Gerald LeDain,
recommended that legal sanctions against the personal use of marijuana
be abandoned and replaced by regulations similar to those applied to
another popular but far more dangerous drug, alcohol. Forty-three
years later, the subject is again upon us, and this time it appears
that something might actually be done.

The legalization of recreational cannabis use "immediately" was among
the cornucopia of promises made by the now-governing Liberal Party
during the recent electoral campaign and it has been reiterated since
by our new Prime Minister and Minister of Youth (!) Justin Trudeau.
Just how he's going to go about it, however, remains to be seen.

Marijuana's illegal status has been the source of the most profound
effect that use of the substance has had on our society, enriching
organized crime and ensuring that the relatively harmless plant would
be distributed by the same people selling far more dangerous narcotics
(and contraband tobacco). It has ensured that nothing stood In the way
of its purchase by children, or that other, more dangerous substances
were not added to increase either profits or addiction. It also meant
that government could not benefit from taxing the huge and lucrative
market, while forcing it to spend millions every year on massive,
publicity stunt raids on plantations that operate just about anywhere
one can find arable land, not to mention the massive indoor operations
uncovered every year. On an individual basis, it has made criminals of
countless otherwise respectable citizens. It's way past time to look
at this.

While there continues to be heated debate as to the medical benefits
of cannabis for a number of ailments, evidence, both clinical and
anecdotal, have made some startling claims on behalf of its ability to
ease pain, nausea, and anxiety in patients to the extent that even an
adamantly opposed Conservative government was forced (by the courts)
to ease its access to the plant for medical purposes, although the
approach taken clearly reflected the Harper government's uninformed,
but passionate, condemnation of the drug in any form and for any
purpose. When his hand was forced our dearly departed Fearless Leader
set into motion a scheme that ensured that only his corporate buddies
would benefit. Hopefully, the new government will try a new approach.

In an ideal world, citizens would be allowed to grow the plant for
their personal use, as is the case with alcohol, while imposing strict
regulations around its commercial trade. Dealerships would be licensed
and supervised and taxes from its sales would flow into government
coffers. Far more importantly, some of that revenue could be put into
research to determine the effects of its use on both individuals and
society as a whole.

Individually, there is little evidence to support the idea that
marijuana use poses any serious threat to individual health - apart
from the potential side effects of incessant snacking - but concern
has been raised over its effects in adolescent brain development and
some have discovered links between heavy use at that age and the
emergence of schizophrenia, As it is, the government, unable to
curtail its generalized use, has no means to protect this demographic
from any potential harm. Legalization could at least allow for the
prohibition of sales to minors and this would likely be at least as
effective as similar regulations covering alcohol - far from perfect,
but far better than nothing.

Despite an increasing consensus supporting the legalization of pot,
the discussion to come will surely shatter that consensus into a
thousand small parts. How will it be sold and by whom? How will it be
regulated and what would be the penalties for breaking the rules?
Should it be taxed as a public health menace like tobacco, a cash cow
like alcohol, or as an everyday item? Should the government regulate
potency? If so, how? Would it be by price or by limits? Will it be
sold in bulk, as individually rolled cigarettes, or both? How will
quality be controlled, and by whom? How does its use impair driving
and other mechanical skills? All of these are questions that need to
be asked before "legalization" can actually happen.

In the meantime, the federal government should impose an absolute
moratorium on the filing of criminal charges for simple possession.
Although prosecutors almost never pursue such charges, police
constantly arrest people for this inoffensive offense for the sole
purpose of increasing their arrest rates and to complicate things for
those they bust for other infractions. It's abuse and it has got to
stop.

If the Trudeau government intends to live up to its promise, then it
should do so carefully and with as much medical and social information
as possible. It must resist concentrating on the potential gold rush
of tax revenue, which could be temptingly huge, and ensure that a new
policy would be fair, reasonable, and safe, especially for the
vulnerable. Intensive research should also be conducted to determine
what exactly it is we're talking about and are about to do. In the
meantime, why not leave the casual stoner alone?
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MAP posted-by: Matt