cannabisnews.com: Why on Earth is Marijuana Still Illegal?
Why on Earth is Marijuana Still Illegal?
Posted by CN Staff on August 15, 2002 at 08:19:06 PT
By Judy Rebick
Source: CBC
The LeDain Commission first made the argument for the decriminalization of possession of marijuana way back in 1973. No organized force that I know of supports the existing law.The RCMP and the Association of Police Chiefs are both in favour of decriminalization. Even the right-wing Fraser Institute supports legalization. The Canadian Alliance almost passed a resolution calling for the legalization of marijuana in their last convention and are unlikely to fight against amendments to the Criminal Code removing the stigma of criminal charges for users.
Continuing to arrest those who use marijuana for pleasure is senseless and unfair. Continuing to arrest those who need it for medical reasons is cruel and insane. We can get highly addictive opium derivatives like morphine, or seriously damaging drugs like amphetamines, from our doctors with a simple prescription, even though both are illegal for recreational use. Yet marijuana, which study after study reveals is the least harmful of all drugs, with the possible exception of aspirin, continues to be illegal.Health Minister Allan Rock's idea of giving ministerial permission to those who need to smoke dope for medical reasons reaches such depths of absurdity that Monty Python, were they still around, could no doubt use the situation almost unchanged as one of their skits.Lawyers for medicinal marijuana users say applications for exemptions go into a black hole at Health Canada. Surely the bureaucrats at Health Canada have better things to do than decide whether this or that person really needs marijuana for their health. In our society, isn't it doctors who are empowered to make such decisions?The fear is that permitting medical use will be a slippery slope and doctors will not hesitate to provide scripts to all users of marijuana. So what? There is no evidence that making marijuana legal increases its use. There is no evidence that marijuana leads to use of other drugs, as many thought in the 1960s. Marijuana is less harmful than either alcohol or cigarettes. And the worst part is that the law is applied unevenly.In 1997, almost 50,000 people were charged with marijuana offences, up 34 per cent since 1991. More than seven out of 10 drug offences were for marijuana and two-thirds of them were for simple possession, according to a recent Statistics Canada report. Eighty-six percent of those arrested for marijuana were under 25. Nine out of 10 offenders were male. So young men who are being rousted by police for other reasons are caught with marijuana and face criminal charges. While thousands of upstanding citizens smoke marijuana with little concern for its illegality.The only reason pot is still illegal is because of the American war on drugs. The Americans use their drug laws to maintain a massive military, police and prison complex and to keep a significant minority of young black men behind bars. They insist on imposing their reactionary views about drugs on the rest of us.But Canadians aren't buying. Most Canadians support the legalization of marijuana and more than 80 per cent support the decriminalization of the medical use of marijuana.The Ontario Court of Appeals decision gives the Liberal government a way out. The court gave the government 12 months to rewrite the law or it would be null and void in Ontario. Then marijuana would be legal in Ontario. That would annoy the rest of the country enough that the pressure to make it legal across the country would be irresistable.It was through just such a court decision that abortion was made legal in this country. In that case, the government didn't have the courage to stand up to the well-organized anti-abortion lobby. In the case of marijuana, no organized force that I know of is prepared to fight to maintain the existing law.If the feds are afraid of the U.S. government, why not just let the court decision stand? Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Author: Judy Rebick Published: August 4, 2000Copyright: 2002 CBCWebsite: http://www.cbc.ca/Contact: cbcinput toronto.cbc.ca Related Articles & Web Site:Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmTo Decriminalize Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13440.shtmlCanada: The Debate Over Decriminalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12697.shtmlShould We Treat Pot Like Tobacco? Senators Ask http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12696.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help
Comment #23 posted by jack on August 15, 2002 at 16:30:03 PT
test
test
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #22 posted by Dankhank on August 15, 2002 at 14:27:35 PT:
Thanks ...
Thanks all for the greets ...Makes the day much better ...On a personal note, I have smoked the ganga with The Weedman by the Liberty Bell in Philly at a rally during the Shadow/Republican Conventions.Luck and strength to you Ed ...
Hemp N stuff
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #18 posted by John Tyler on August 15, 2002 at 13:43:36 PT
Drug War
The Drug War boils down to racism, greed, and ignorance.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #17 posted by karkulus on August 15, 2002 at 12:28:59 PT
why pot is bad?
People used to say that Zsa-Zsa Gabor was "famous for being famous"...pot is like that ..considered bad because it's always [since 16th century Catholic/Talmudic legalism] been considered bad ...That's why they look for excuses and phony government grant-mongering studies to vindicate their vehemence.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #16 posted by FoM on August 15, 2002 at 12:15:07 PT
Zero_G
I tested the length of the url in the comment here because I thought it was too long but it wasn't so it is on the front page now. Ed is one gutsy and determined fellow. God Bless him.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #15 posted by Zero_G on August 15, 2002 at 12:10:17 PT
RealSpeak
Part of Forchion's parole deal, according to authorities, was that he could not openly promote the use of marijuana. Should read:Part of the agreement by which Forchion was released from brutal captivity, was that he illegally relenquish his First Amendment Rights.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #14 posted by FoM on August 15, 2002 at 11:53:23 PT
ON THE AIR: Weedman Takes Cause To Television
JEFF EDELSTEIN, Staff Writer
August 15, 2002
The NJWEEDMAN, Ed Forchion, has put down his bong, picked up a video camera and shot a trio of commercials for First Amendment rights.
Forchion, who was recently released from prison after a 17-month stretch, was arrested on May 27 after speaking out against marijuana laws in front of the Burlington County Courthouse.
Part of Forchion's parole deal, according to authorities, was that he could not openly promote the use of marijuana.
Snipped:
Complete Title: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5056113&BRD=1697&PAG=461&dept_id=44551&rfi=6
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #13 posted by Zero_G on August 15, 2002 at 11:11:52 PT
Happy Birthday DankHank
This note's for you...Exodus Bob MarleyExodus
Exodus, movement of JAH people
Exodus, movement of JAH peoplemen and people will fight ya down
when ya see JAH light
let me tell you if you're not wrong everything is allright
walk, through the roads of creation
we're the generation
who trod through great tribulation Exodus, movement of JAH people
Exodus, movement of JAH people open your eyes and look within
are you satisfied with the life
you're living
we know where we're going
we know where we're from
we're leaving babylon
into our father's land
Exodus, movement of JAH people
Exodus, movement of JAH peopleExodus, Exodus, Exodus
Exodus, Exodus, Exodus movement of JAH people
movement of JAH people
movement of JAH people
movement of JAH people move, move, move, movement of JAH people JAH come to breakdown downpression, rule equality
wipe away transgression
and set the captives freeExodus, movement of JAH people
Exodus, movement of JAH people
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #12 posted by TroutMask on August 15, 2002 at 11:05:44 PT
Yeah, what's up?
...and some of those comments are from late August. That leads me to believe this article must have originally run in 2000. Even the date in the link is 000804.-TM
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by FoM on August 15, 2002 at 11:04:17 PT
I Fixed The Date
It was from August 4, 2000 so I fixed the date. Sorry about that. It does show how long we've waited for common sense to prevail.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #10 posted by FoM on August 15, 2002 at 10:50:38 PT
st1r_dude
Thanks I posted this article as August the 4th 2002 because the url says 8-04 but the comments are the year 2000. I wonder if this is a two year old article or why would the comments be the year 2000 I wonder. If it was from the year 2000 then reform is way late!http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/columns/rebick/rebick000804.html
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #9 posted by st1r_dude on August 15, 2002 at 10:45:08 PT
here's the CBC link to this article
be sure and check out the reader responses at the bottom - quite interesting, indeed.http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/columns/rebick/rebick000804.htmlst1d again
CBC articl link with reader responses at bottom
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #8 posted by Industrial Strength on August 15, 2002 at 10:33:47 PT
the CBC
This is important, I think. The CBC has outstanding news (most of the time) and is the only Canadian network that actually runs Canadian content. The others just run local news and programs bought from American networks. It's sad, really.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by BGreen on August 15, 2002 at 10:10:30 PT
Happy Birthday, Dankhank
Things are fucked here in Missouri, it's not my birthday, and I have to go to the dentist. :-(Oh, well.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #6 posted by Naaps on August 15, 2002 at 09:46:01 PT
Time to Speak
The only reason pot is still illegal is because of the American war on drugs. The Americans use their drug laws to maintain a massive military, police and prison complex and to keep a significant minority of young black men behind bars. They insist on imposing their reactionary views about drugs on the rest of us.I know we hear this line repeatedly. Even Dan Gardner used it. But there must come a day, where responsible decision makers - leaders even - take note that we live in a separate country, one that ultimately should have the power and will to make independent drug policy. I know that Canada is economically linked to the US, 87% of our exports, 1 in 4 jobs directly related to trade with the US… But busting compassion clubs, foot dragging on the Flin-Flon pot, not adhering to Court rulings where the government was given a year to supply cannabis, a situation that so easily could be improving, is actually decaying.Activists must demonstrate against the action to bust the compassion club. The people affected need to speak out, appear on Television, be in the news. This bust could be turned around, throwing light on the injustices of the present system. Also, the sources of oppression need exposure. Is Prime Minister Jean Chrentien just a nice smiling grandfatherly character, or is he a leader content to see suffering Canadians exposed to even more pain and discomfort. Is Justice Minister Martian Cauchon serious that giving access to proven medicine, would harm society. Our leaders are complacent in depriving medicine from ill, suffering people.Yeah, it is typically Canadian to point to our southern neighbor blaming them for injustices in our society. But it takes willing participation to enact and enforce laws which harm society. True leaders must recognize and act to support their people.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by VitaminT on August 15, 2002 at 09:19:16 PT
Marc Emery lays it on the line!
This latest "Prince of Pot" edition is absolutely outstanding! Marc would make an excellent Mayor for Vancouver.
http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1470.html
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #4 posted by dddd on August 15, 2002 at 09:14:16 PT
...Dankhank....
...Happy Birthday ...hope things are OK with you.......brace yourself for things to get even more fucked in the coming years......and have a good day today...on the brite side,,,the older we get,,means the less time we'll have to endure when things get really fucked in years to come.......
Happy Birthday.......dddd
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #3 posted by st1r_dude on August 15, 2002 at 08:57:58 PT
this says it all -
from above:"The only reason pot is still illegal is because of the American war on drugs. The Americans use their drug laws to maintain a massive military, police and prison complex and to keep a significant minority of young black men behind bars. They insist on imposing their reactionary views about drugs on the rest of us."when will the majority of brain-dead americans figure this out ? it's SO obvious ! i really hope our neighbors up north can keep the momentum rolling, and change MJ policy asap...thanks, FoM for your ceaseless efforts to keep us informed, and our hopes HIGH...hee hee - st1d
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #2 posted by FoM on August 15, 2002 at 08:35:49 PT
Dankhank
Happy Birthday!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #1 posted by Dankhank on August 15, 2002 at 08:33:54 PT:
Aspirin?
Since aspirin kills about 1000 people a year, what does that say about the hatemongers who want all pot smokers in jail.Happy Birthday to me today ...What a fucked up world I live in ... thank you America ...
Hemp N stuff
[ Post Comment ]
Post Comment