cannabisnews.com: Smoked Out





Smoked Out
Posted by CN Staff on July 18, 2002 at 08:05:06 PT
By Roy Clancy -- Calgary Sun
Source: Calgary Sun
Federal Minister of Justice Martin Cauchon admitted smoking marijuana in his youth yesterday. The way he's been acting lately, you might be forgiven for thinking he's still indulging in the occasional toke. On Monday, Cauchon suggested he's considering decriminalizing the illegal substance -- even though Senate and Commons committees investigating the issue have yet to release their reports. 
Cauchon's comments represent a radical departure from his earlier position on marijuana, which was that society isn't ready for decriminalization. If the neophyte minister hasn't been firing up the odd doobie, it's hard to figure exactly what his motivation might be. Perhaps he merely wanted to raise his political profile. If that was the goal, he succeeded. A whole bunch of people are perturbed with him and the smoke hasn't even begun to clear. Solicitor-General Lawrence MacAulay has some reservations about the notion. The Canadian Police Association vowed to fight any moves towards decriminalization -- claiming it would hamper their efforts to stop drug-traffickers. Even the leader of the federal Marijuana Party was left gasping at Cauchon's suggestion. The pot party folks are worried that fining people for cannabis possession will become too attractive a source of revenue for the state. "It is very nice of Mr. Cauchon to think of us cannabis consumers, but my major problem ... is that we could see an increase in police stopping people for cannabis," said Marijuana Party leader Marc-Boris Saint-Maurice. The pot proponents make it patently clear they're not interested in decriminalization -- where marijuana is illegal, but not a criminal offence. The stoners won't rest until it is out-and-out legal. They've been fighting for it long enough. The U.S. based North American Organization for the Repeal of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has been active for decades. A survey by the University of Lethbridge last year revealed support for legalization has doubled in the last 25 years. A change in Britain's laws last week to decriminalize pot got the spliff and hookah set excited. Now with Cauchon's pronouncements, they can barely contain themselves. There's more organization than you would think behind the legalization movement. Any mention of the subject by a news outlet draws dozens of e-mails from all over the continent. Just yesterday, I was sent copies of editorials from two major Canadian newspapers supporting decriminalization. After this column appears, I'll get dozens of e-mails -- most of them indignant and angry at my callous and intolerant attitude. I'll admit decriminalizing marijuana makes some sense. Roughly 30,000 Canadians are charged with simple possession every year. The harm done by saddling people with criminal records often exceeds the damage done by using the drug. Most unfair of all, police in different parts of the country enforce the law differently. The pro-dope advocates make some compelling arguments, such as the impact of organized crime and relatively benign nature of the substance. Their ultimate pipe dream is to see marijuana fully sanctioned and available for sale at the corner store. The decriminalization and medical marijuana issues are mere bandwagons for them to ride on their way to achieving their goal. While I back the regulated use of medical marijuana -- like any other medically prescribed drug -- I personally believe blanket legalization would be a tragic mistake. Anyone who has known a chronic, heavy user can attest to the substance's side effects -- lethargy, inability to concentrate, memory lapses. A study published this spring in the Canadian Medical Association Journal concluded that pot use drives down the IQ by four points. Fortunately for the druggies, the same study revealed the IQ bounced back after use was discontinued. The researchers warned that multi-drug users and those who'd been toking for decades couldn't count on the same recovery. That's really the point here. Even though many Canadians have tried marijuana during their lives, only a small percentage now use it regularly. Even those sympathetic to pot smokers would have to admit this isn't such a bad situation. Right now marijuana use remains on the periphery. To keep it that way, we must retain penalties that send a strong message that drug use is harmful and not accepted by society. Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)Author: Roy Clancy -- Calgary SunPublished: July 17, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Calgary SunContact: callet sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyicalgary.com/calsun.shtmlRelated Articles & Web Sites:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Marijuana Party http://www.marijuanaparty.org/Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmCauchon Admits He Smoked Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13442.shtmlGovernment Considering Decriminalizing Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13431.shtmlMarijuana Party Denounces Cauchon's Idea http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13403.shtml 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 18, 2002 at 18:12:18 PT
News Article from The Times Colonist
Pot Crusader Ready to Enter Politics, Mayor Undecided on Second Term
Times Colonist (Victoria) 
Thursday, July 18, 2002
A crusader for more liberal marijuana laws has become the first announced candidate for Victoria mayor in the upcoming fall election.
Ted Smith, 33, informed city council of his intention after expressing frustration over the city's approach to his business, which attempts to provide pot to medical users.
He currently faces six drug trafficking charges and his Cannabis Buyers Club of Canada has been raided by city police four times.
But Smith said recently he does not plan to be a single-issue candidate, citing the need for more attention to the human side of downtown development.
Mayor Alan Lowe said he has not yet decided whether to seek re-election but he is getting close to making a decision.
"Maybe I need to take a walk in the snow," Lowe said, laughing.
Complete Article: http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=0CF78DB7-B5EE-4C1D-93E9-B15AE0BC1B51
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Comment #3 posted by krutch on July 18, 2002 at 17:36:56 PT:
Drug Use is Accepted by Society
Alcohol, tobacco, Viagra, Xanex, Vallium and a slew of other substances are accepted to spite the potential for health problems. This author needs to remove his head from his ass. Keeping pot smoking a crime is a farce.
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Comment #2 posted by John Tyler on July 18, 2002 at 08:50:42 PT
typo
That should be: We want to be left alone. 
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Comment #1 posted by John Tyler on July 18, 2002 at 08:35:34 PT
Heavy users?
I don't know any heavy users. Everyone I know is too busy working, taking care of their home, family, pets, yard, cars, web surfing, etc. In a word doing other stuff. I suppose only those with money and leisure can indulge to a great extent. Most people don't have either one at the same time.  All cannabis users want is to not have to worry about the cops when they do get a rare moment to relax. We pay the freight charges for the country. We don't want to be left alone.
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