cannabisnews.com: Senate Committee Hears from Pro-Marijuana Advocate Senate Committee Hears from Pro-Marijuana Advocate Posted by CN Staff on May 14, 2002 at 17:43:19 PT By The Canadian Press Source: Canadian Press Legalizing marijuana would reduce the number of violent, drug-related crimes in Canada, the Senate committee on illegal drugs heard Monday. Timothy Hampton, the Saskatchewan president of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said making possession and commercial distribution legal would take the profit away from criminals. "Any time, you have prohibition, there is big money," he told the committee in Regina. The Senate committee hopes to objectively review Canada's anti-drug legislation and policies on cannabis by hearing testimony from pro-legalization groups, law enforcement and health officials. The committee is holding a series of public hearings across the country - with the first stop in Regina - to hear the public's views. Hampton said law enforcement and justice officials should not focus on the domestic cultivation, distribution and recreational use of cannabis by average Canadian citizens. Instead, domestic users should be able to apply for exemption under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which allows Health Canada to exempt certain illegal drug-users from prosecution, he said. Police Chief Cal Johnston said the main focus of police drug investigations is never to track down people for marijuana possession. He said possession charges usually follow crackdowns on trafficking activity. But whether legalizing marijuana would diminish trafficking and violence is still up for debate, he said. "We know that when trafficking increases, we see crime in other areas go up," he said. Johnston said he didn't know what kind of effect legalizing marijuana or making it more accessible would have on crime rates. Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, chairman of the Senate committee on illegal drugs, said he has heard recommendations similar to Hampton's in the past and expects to hear more in coming weeks. Nolin said he is "quite interested to hear what the local health authority has to say on the abuse of drugs." After studying the pros and cons of marijuana use for 14 months, the committee released a preliminary report earlier this month saying scientific evidence suggests marijuana isn't a so-called gateway drug that leads to the use of harder drugs. Research showed that between 30 and 50 per cent of Canadians between the ages 15 and 24 have used cannabis, the report said. The annual cost of fighting illegal drugs, for federal agencies alone, is estimated at $500 million. Each year, more than 30,000 Canadians are charged with simple possession of marijuana. Complete Title: Senate Committee Hears from Pro-Marijuana Advocate at Regina Public HearingSource: Canadian Press Published: Tuesday, May 14, 2002Copyright: 2002 The Canadian Press Related Articles & Web Sites:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmHearings To Seek Attitudes About Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12795.shtmlCanada: The Debate Over Decriminalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12697.shtmlPot Smokers Gain Senate Backers http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12708.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by Toker00 on May 14, 2002 at 21:17:59 PT Yeah, and... ...every Truth brings us closer to the Failure of Prohibition. Amazing how that's working, huh?Peace. Realize, then Legalize. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on May 14, 2002 at 18:28:04 PT The buzz I really like the buzz coming out of Canada. Every failure of prohibition brings us closer to the truth. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment