Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
c-sharp minor
Well-known member
This is an article from last week, which was printed in newpapers across Canada.
SENATE REPORT SUGGESTS LEGALIZING MARIJUANA
OTTAWA ( CP ) -- Pot smoking should be legal for any resident over 16, a Senate committee said Wednesday in a sweeping recommendation that goes beyond decriminalization or even the kind of tolerance in such cannabis-friendly jurisdictions as the Netherlands.
The report was hailed by marijuana activists but fiercely condemned by the Canadian Police Association which called it "a back-to-school gift for drug pushers."
Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, chairman of the special committee that drafted the report, acknowledged the issue remains in the hands of the federal government and said nothing is likely to happen quickly.
A House of Commons committee is expected to issue a report on illicit drugs in November. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said the government will study those findings and won't unveil its position before early next year.
Canadian Alliance MP Randy White, co-chair of the Commons commitee studying non-medical use of drugs, agreed with Cauchon's view that the government wait until his commitee reports.
White said he had several problems with the Senate committee's views, including its recommendation that Canadians as young as 16 be able to buy cannabis from government run-stores.
"You can't even buy cigarettes or alcohol in Canada until you are 18, but it would be OK to light up a joint?" White said.
Cauchon wouldn't say whether he feels the time has come for legalization, but he did suggest current marijuana laws are outdated.
"When we have legislation that's not really being enforced because it's no longer consistent with social realities, it's important for a government to look at and reshape such legislation."
While all political parties support decriminalization, legalization is a big step beyond that.
The former would make it legal to possess small amounts of cannabis for personal use; the latter could see it sold at government outlets, even corner stores.
The report said the current system of prohibition simply doesn't work and should be replaced by a regulated system, perhaps like that used for alcohol, with cannabis available to anyone 16 or older.
"Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and public health issue," Nolin said.
The senators called for an amnesty for the 300,000 to 600,000 Canadians who have a criminal record for simple possession of cannabis.
They also recommended improvements to ease access to medicinal marijuana for people undergoing cancer chemotherapy or those suffering from glaucoma or chronic pain. David Griffin, executive director of the Canadian Police Association, said he was appalled by the report.
"Drugs are not dangerous because they're illegal, drugs are illegal because they are dangerous," he said.
"There is no such thing as safe use of illicit drugs, including marijuana.' '
The association said drugs, crime and violence go hand in hand, but Nolin said marijuana use doesn't lead to violence and legalizing it will eliminate the organized drug traffickers who may use violence.
Nolin said scientific studies found that cannabis is not addictive and has few, if any, long-term effects. The report also concluded that the long-held view that cannabis use leads to abuse of harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin, is wrong.
Nolin said liberalization policies in other countries have produced short-term rises in the number of users, but that this effect levelled off and eventually dropped.
He said the senators recommended legalization over decriminalization because the latter would leave the production and sale of cannabis in the hands of organized crime. Nolin said the idea is not to encourage marijuana use, but to regulate it, saving hundreds of millions in annual drug-enforcement costs.
Marc Boris Saint-Maurice, leader of the Marijuana Party, welcomed the report, joking that Nolin should become senator for his party. But Saint-Maurice didn't see the report as a breakthrough.
"The big challenge, now, is to see those recommendations translated in the reality," he said.
Very interesting stuff. I could see a huge poplulation explosion happening if these drug policies were implemented.
SENATE REPORT SUGGESTS LEGALIZING MARIJUANA
OTTAWA ( CP ) -- Pot smoking should be legal for any resident over 16, a Senate committee said Wednesday in a sweeping recommendation that goes beyond decriminalization or even the kind of tolerance in such cannabis-friendly jurisdictions as the Netherlands.
The report was hailed by marijuana activists but fiercely condemned by the Canadian Police Association which called it "a back-to-school gift for drug pushers."
Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, chairman of the special committee that drafted the report, acknowledged the issue remains in the hands of the federal government and said nothing is likely to happen quickly.
A House of Commons committee is expected to issue a report on illicit drugs in November. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said the government will study those findings and won't unveil its position before early next year.
Canadian Alliance MP Randy White, co-chair of the Commons commitee studying non-medical use of drugs, agreed with Cauchon's view that the government wait until his commitee reports.
White said he had several problems with the Senate committee's views, including its recommendation that Canadians as young as 16 be able to buy cannabis from government run-stores.
"You can't even buy cigarettes or alcohol in Canada until you are 18, but it would be OK to light up a joint?" White said.
Cauchon wouldn't say whether he feels the time has come for legalization, but he did suggest current marijuana laws are outdated.
"When we have legislation that's not really being enforced because it's no longer consistent with social realities, it's important for a government to look at and reshape such legislation."
While all political parties support decriminalization, legalization is a big step beyond that.
The former would make it legal to possess small amounts of cannabis for personal use; the latter could see it sold at government outlets, even corner stores.
The report said the current system of prohibition simply doesn't work and should be replaced by a regulated system, perhaps like that used for alcohol, with cannabis available to anyone 16 or older.
"Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and public health issue," Nolin said.
The senators called for an amnesty for the 300,000 to 600,000 Canadians who have a criminal record for simple possession of cannabis.
They also recommended improvements to ease access to medicinal marijuana for people undergoing cancer chemotherapy or those suffering from glaucoma or chronic pain. David Griffin, executive director of the Canadian Police Association, said he was appalled by the report.
"Drugs are not dangerous because they're illegal, drugs are illegal because they are dangerous," he said.
"There is no such thing as safe use of illicit drugs, including marijuana.' '
The association said drugs, crime and violence go hand in hand, but Nolin said marijuana use doesn't lead to violence and legalizing it will eliminate the organized drug traffickers who may use violence.
Nolin said scientific studies found that cannabis is not addictive and has few, if any, long-term effects. The report also concluded that the long-held view that cannabis use leads to abuse of harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin, is wrong.
Nolin said liberalization policies in other countries have produced short-term rises in the number of users, but that this effect levelled off and eventually dropped.
He said the senators recommended legalization over decriminalization because the latter would leave the production and sale of cannabis in the hands of organized crime. Nolin said the idea is not to encourage marijuana use, but to regulate it, saving hundreds of millions in annual drug-enforcement costs.
Marc Boris Saint-Maurice, leader of the Marijuana Party, welcomed the report, joking that Nolin should become senator for his party. But Saint-Maurice didn't see the report as a breakthrough.
"The big challenge, now, is to see those recommendations translated in the reality," he said.
Very interesting stuff. I could see a huge poplulation explosion happening if these drug policies were implemented.
