cannabisnews.com: Why We Inhale










  Why We Inhale

Posted by CN Staff on July 04, 2002 at 13:33:45 PT
By Wayne Phillips 
Source: Globe and Mail  

Hamilton, Ont. -- Given such a concentration of cannabis (O Cannabis -- editorial, June 29) in one city -- Vancouver -- it can be easily seen that all of British Columbia generates annual revenue exceeding the $36-billion in cash receipts generated last year by all of Canada's "legitimate" crops combined.And then there is the rest of Canada. It is estimated that federal agencies spend between $325-million and $500-million of taxpayer funds each year eradicationg cannabis -- more than 30,000 people are charged with simple possession annually.
It is inconceivable that Ottawa would rather spend this amount of money than accrue revenue on a potential $36-billion-plus.Yet these direct monetary costs are only half of what we pay. There are also court and incarceration costs. And then there is all the good that could have been done if these vast resources had been available for other priorities.The prohibition of cannabis has demonstrated itself to be ineffective law that is neither a deterrent to youth nor to marijuana growers. If there isn't an expert in the country who would recommend that marijuana be the one that is banned based on individual and societal harm, then the prohibition of cannabis is a mistake. Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)Author: Wayne PhillipsPublished: Saturday, Thursday, July 4, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A18Copyright: 2002 The Globe and Mail CompanyContact: letters globeandmail.caWebsite: http://www.globeandmail.ca/Related Article & Web Site:Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmMagazine Picks Vancouver as Pot Lover's Paradisehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13256.shtmlLivin' in Grass Houseshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13168.shtmlMarijuana Grow-Ops in B.C. Jumped by 222 Percent http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13118.shtml

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Comment #7 posted by R-Earing on July 05, 2002 at 09:49:04 PT:

simple math
36 billion dollars divided by 30 million Canucks=120$ per year/per man/woman/child.Seems like a lot of pot for a baby.How much could a baby possibly smoke?And when they get the munchies doesn't it inconvenience their moms?Even I didn't smoke that much before preschool.Spoiled kids.BTW-The main opponent of legal pot in Canada is the Police association.It is chaired by this super cheesy narc.He looks like Stacy Keach in Mike Hammer.(or Joey Silvera in Ass Busters 3).His other big hobby is "counselling" young prostitutes at night in his police car.Nothing untoward could possibly be happening right? He's just trying to help.
I only mention it cause he's from my town and his ugly 70's head is all over our local cable channels.Last year he actually had the nuts to resurrect the gateway drug theory as a good reason for prohibition.I'd love to get video of one of his "counselling" sessions and then there'd be nobody to speak for the narcs.
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on July 04, 2002 at 21:35:57 PT

Thanks EJ
I have no idea where it is, but I'll definitely have to stop by Washington Square Park the next time I"m in NY! How the heck did you stumble across that reference?
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Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on July 04, 2002 at 21:30:13 PT

Benefactors of Prohibtion
Naaps you've figured it out all right - we're in a David and Goliath type situation here. If you line up reform advocates vs. the formidable array of vested parties, it's downright scary. The near-complete absence of any meaningful dialogue in the US while the rest of the world reforms is revealing commentary on the current state of our government. The "Benefactors" hold much more sway in the government here than in Europe. One need look no further than Pataki's recent moves in NY for perfect illustration of this. There was a huge wave of support for rolling back the harsh NY drug laws, but in the end, the influence of prison culture on the rural parts of the state was too much.  Forget the industrial benefit of the prisons, some of those towns in upstate NY rely on the CENSUS boost from the prison population. More warehoused minority bodies = more aid money from Albany. From recent news it looks like Canada is already pretty hot over Bush's new tariffs. No way they're going to kill the Golden Goose just for the edification US government.

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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on July 04, 2002 at 17:19:00 PT

Not just legalize, RE-legalize.
During the 1st prohibition, it wasn’t alcohol testing that made schools safer. It was the end of alcohol prohibition itself that made the schools safer.Does anyone believe that we would be rid of booze, had we kept the 1st prohibition?
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Comment #2 posted by Naaps on July 04, 2002 at 16:17:22 PT

Not $36 Billion, That's Excessive
The Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia estimates that the value of the BC Cannabis is approximately $6 Billion. A figure that is probably too high, because police tend to assign a value of $1000 per plant, be it a new clone just rooting, a rough looking spider mite infested plant, or a even a male. Actually, with the preferred growing method of using small plants, set on 12” centers, the amount of dried bud per plant is less than 2 ounces. When the bud is sold wholesale at between $2000 and $2600 per pound, a single plant only has a value of $250 to $350 depending on the yield. The OCA of BC stints its report to enhance its funding by making the ‘problem’ appear very grievous indeed.I don’t know the source of his estimated figure of $30 Billion, even if applied to the entire country. The House Committee found that federally drug interdiction cost between $450 and $500 Million, with 95% going to the RCMP. Breaking out the actual amount spent only on cannabis is tough. The Auditor General complained loudly that the police have poor accounting practices, so what the Canadian taxpayer actually gets for all this spending is unknown. Presently, RCMP and Provincial Police are curtailing investigations into Heroin and Cocaine to attack the large soft target of Marijuana. The police argue that all drugs are equal, so busting cannabis gardeners is as satisfying as busting other drug venders or producers.Wayne Phillips could find many ‘experts’ who would recommend that marijuana be banned based on individual and societal harm. However, if he excluded the vested authorities - the benefactors of prohibition - such as police associations, biased treatment mongers, drug education/prevention pitchmen, medical people supported by pharmaceutical interests, and a great many ignorant local, provincial and federal politicians; then, he may have unanimity of opinion regarding the mistake of prohibition.  

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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on July 04, 2002 at 14:30:23 PT

Parse this story
http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,56867,00.htmlLovely clouds of smoke at P. Diddy's party for his record label, eh?Marijuana being smoked openly at a celeb event, eh?Fox News giving the party and the party-giver a good review, eh?
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