cannabisnews.com: Legalize Pot, Senate Committee Says 





Legalize Pot, Senate Committee Says 
Posted by CN Staff on September 04, 2002 at 09:06:29 PT
By CBC News Online Staff
Source: CBC
A Senate committee said in a report Wednesday that marijuana use should be legalized for adults. The Special Committee on Illegal Drugs released its final report on Wednesday morning, in which it says the public drug policy should be of a guiding nature, rather than a restrictive one. "The committee recommends that cannabis should be from here on in legal and of restricted use, so that Canadians can choose whether to consume or not in security," Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, chair of the committee. 
The committee also says the government should wipe clean the records of anyone convicted of marijuana possession. There is no good reason pot smokers should be subject to criminal law, he said. "In many ways prohibition is a cop-out," said Nolin. He said drug policy should focus on harm reduction, prevention and treatment. The committee concludes that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol, and rejects the idea that smoking pot leads to harder drugs. Senator Colin Kenny said no one on the committee wants to see an increase in drug use. Written by CBC News Online staffSource: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Published: September 4, 2002Copyright: 2002 CBCWebsite: http://www.cbc.ca/Contact: cbcinput toronto.cbc.caRelated Articles:Senate Committee Recommends Legal Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13978.shtmlCanada: The Debate Over Decriminalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12697.shtml 
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Comment #29 posted by Dankhank on September 04, 2002 at 12:38:44 PT:
Thanks ... puff_tuff 
Through the miracle of DSL and a fairly capable computer I am listening to the broadcast as I write this.I, too speak regularly to folks about the failure of Christianity to do what it claims to be for: Ease the life of people in this realm while telling them of the wonders of the realm to come.It took the Baptists in the USA up until a couple of years ago to finally apologise to Black Americans for the heinous treatment they recieved in the "land of the free."The vociferous opposition to even the discussion of the USA tendering an apology for slavery beggars the imagination to understand why mostly Christian people are dead set against even an apology, muah less "reparations."Likewise, mostly Christian people are the ones that are persecuting cannabis users, especially the sick.I, too, revere Jesus, but not the Jesus of any religion that I know of. Most who know me will say that I rarely attend Church, yet I have my son's Plastic Jesus on my dashboard. I will use this msg to make a statement of my own crafted after many years of mostly verbal, but increasingly physical activity:All of you Christian Americans will have to answer to your perfidy one day if what you believe is true. What will you tell Jesus when he asks you WHY you were a willing accessory to a decades-long pogrom against the users of possibly the single most valuable plant on this planet?
Hemp N Stuff
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Comment #28 posted by Windminstrel on September 04, 2002 at 12:35:05 PT
You're right on that one, idbsne1
"Regardless of spiritual beliefs,Prohibitionist = Self-Righteous Ignoramus "
Christians aren't called to condemn sinful acts they see non-Christians commit. There's no value there -- if a non-christian refrains from a single sin, yet remains separated from God, what good has been done? The angels don't rejoice when bob the sinner holds back from beating his wife one night -- they rejoice when he repents from his sin and turns to God.
Christians are supposed to spread the Good News, not condemn others. It's ineffective when we come across like jerks.
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Comment #27 posted by idbsne1 on September 04, 2002 at 12:24:06 PT
Regardless of spiritual beliefs....
Prohibitionist = Self-Righteous Ignoramusidbsne1
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Comment #26 posted by The GCW on September 04, 2002 at 12:19:33 PT
Missery
Although Missoura and Missouri works.I'm from the state of Missery.Friends, there are at least 2 different kinds of "Christians". Those that obey and love Christ God Our Father and those who do not... John 14-16. Jesus summed up the commandments, didn't He, with the statement, the commandment is that YOu love one another.We have lots of problems. We can look back at many problems Biblically to find the root of the problem. As far as the blatent problem of the prohibitionist mindset, controlling for the worst, We can look back to the very 1st page of the Bible.Christians that come away from the very 1st page of the Bible, thinking it is ok to cage their brother for using cannabis, do not love Our Father and do not love YOu.It is not by coincidence that Our Father told Us all the green is good, ON THE VERY 1ST PAGE OF THE BIBLE.We all are Green Collar Workers.And Oh Canada!They are almost at the point of no return.Mexico too. Jamaica... The Bush Twins...
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Comment #25 posted by john wayne on September 04, 2002 at 12:18:03 PT
Jesus of the bible hung with lepers,
fer gosh-sakes. These disease-ridden denizens of the bible stories were the AIDS patients of the day, shunned by "respectable" society.  The story of jesus hanging with these lepers would seem to me to express strong "charity to the sick" values. And here we have pentecostal Ashcroft closing cannabis clubs that help AIDS patients and doing it in supposedly strongly christian southern california.It seems to me that cristians should be mightily OFFENDED by the US governments moves against cannabis clubs. But I look around the political news landscape and I don't see all that many christians expressing offense.  With CN being one of the exceptions, of course, thank you FoM!
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Comment #24 posted by darwin on September 04, 2002 at 12:16:37 PT
Bgreen / John Wayne
Its not the Christinans, It's the fundamentalists. Christian, Islamic, or whatever. They use the bible as a shield in one hand and hold a sword in the other. It's been this way for all of history. When will the people/media stop falling for this? Some people say religion is the cause of all wars. It's not. Money and resources are. But religion is the front that is used to garner support for ALL wars. The war on drugs is no different. So.... How do we as a society get the real Christians (the silent majority) to stop voting for politicians who represent the military industrial complex? Do they vote for politicians like Bush just because of the abortion issue?
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Comment #23 posted by BGreen on September 04, 2002 at 12:05:49 PT
I'm trying, john wayne
There are a lot of non-christians on the prohibitionist side, too. Those calling themselves "christians" come across so venomous because the side they're really on is that of evil. "They come as wolves in sheeps clothing."
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Comment #22 posted by john wayne on September 04, 2002 at 11:54:47 PT
BGreen, I'd like to see your views
go more mainstream.Wouldn't it be great if we could turn on the tube, open a newspaper or newsmagazine, etc. and see fervent US christians fervently expressing desire to see the drug war dead and buried?  So why don't we see more of that, BGreen? Are you a strange political creature, very rare in these Untied Statuses, who strongly belives both in the jesus of the bible and drug war reform?BG, I'm really wondering how we can put US christians shoulder to the drug reform wheel.
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Comment #21 posted by Bounce to the Ounce on September 04, 2002 at 11:50:42 PT
I commend Christians...
especially in the fight to legalize marijuana. A lot of the Christians I know are great humanitarians and the ones that want to legalize marijuana are hardcore in doing so. Heck, people like GCW and BGreen are Christians and I notice their great passion. I'm not religious and I'm not saying that other beliefs are not as active, but just making a point of an example of different cultures and religions are comming to together to defeat the War On Drugs.
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on September 04, 2002 at 11:48:18 PT
Bravo Fellas!
That's all I want to say! 
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Comment #19 posted by BGreen on September 04, 2002 at 11:37:56 PT
Right, john wayne
I grew up in SW Missouri, RIGHT where those a'holes are from. I still live in Missouri and I have family in Arkansas. It's NOT the Jesus of the Bible that these punks say they represent. I understand your frustration because I share it, but it hurts me to see the loving Jesus tied in with the hurt and suffering caused by the anti-christ Ashcroft, et al.Let's shake hands and make up, but please be careful when you use the name of Jesus. He really is on our side, and if He was here in the US today He'd be running a cannabis club.
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Comment #18 posted by john wayne on September 04, 2002 at 11:32:19 PT
not arguing
BGreen, your jesus is quite a different animal from duhbya/ashcrofts/hutchinsons juh-heee-ziz.  See, it's even spelled differently. look: "juh-hee-ziz". That's an attempt to differentiate ridiculous hillbilly fundamentalist christians who have seized US government power and now dictate outmoded, unworkable, downright DEADLY drug policy that they actually believe that "juh-hee-ziz" wants. BGreen, have you spent any time in the US south, where these hillbillies (Bush is actually a fake hillbilly) are from? Hillbilly fundamentalist values have been dictated to us now for 20+ years on the drug war front and I for one have had enough.  I will continue to post what I perceive to be the truth: that US drug warriors believe that "juh-hee-ziz" wants me and YOU, that's right YOU BGREEN, to be in JAIL for smoking the herb!
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Comment #17 posted by BGreen on September 04, 2002 at 11:31:07 PT
That should've read *I'm sorry, FoM*
Nobody has the right to slam other peoples' beliefs on this board, and Christians are the only group not allowed to complain.
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Comment #16 posted by BGreen on September 04, 2002 at 11:27:45 PT
Please ask john wayne not to slander the name of m
Please ask john wayne not to slander the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is extremely offensive to me and other Christians, and that is the only argument.
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on September 04, 2002 at 11:09:46 PT
Let's not argue please
Today is a day to celebrate!
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Comment #14 posted by BGreen on September 04, 2002 at 11:06:11 PT
It's ongoing, VitaminT, I have proof
Everybody gets it except john wayne. He DOES blame Christians and won't accept the fact that Ashcroft doesn't speak for Jesus.
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Comment #13 posted by VitaminT on September 04, 2002 at 10:52:23 PT
It's NOT Jesus
It's the people who blindly follow FANATICAL RELIGOUS SECTS (among others)that Oppress the peaceful Cannabis smoker!Christians who think for themselves have never been a problem for us!Christians were not attacked - that should have been obvious.
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Comment #12 posted by TroutMask on September 04, 2002 at 10:35:00 PT
Other Considerations
Not only does the Canadian government have to consider this report, but they have to consider what happens if they DONT legalize and the cannabis rules are struck down entirely by the Canadian Supreme Court, which could very easily happen in the next several weeks and months. You'd end up with FULL legalization with NO restrictions.They need to get their stuff together and put some laws in place, legalizing for adult and medical use and thereby nullifying the constitutional arguments against existing laws. Failure to act on this report could be a really huge mess!Also: The report itself supports the constitutional arguments against marijuana prohibition, weakening the government's position and making anti-prohibition challenges more likely to succeed. They're really screwed here (in a good way).-TM
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Comment #11 posted by Morgan on September 04, 2002 at 10:28:33 PT
Truth
What they'll probably do (as they have been doing) is take a piece from the report, spin it so it says what they want it to say, release 'official' press reports to all major media in the U.S., repeat over and over and over until what they say becomes the truth...True = Whatever the mass majority of Americans are led to believe by the media to be true.Let's watch.
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Comment #10 posted by BGreen on September 04, 2002 at 10:27:13 PT
no, john wayne, that was dubyas' response
Canada's highest court has already said cannabis should be available, and by now absolutely legal, so the enforcement branch, e.g. canadian police, don't have a leg to stand on.If you don't stop mocking Jesus I'm going to have to ask FoM to step in. Jesus doesn't condone this attack on His Fathers' plant, and I don't appreciate your incessant attacks on MY LORD AND SAVIOUR!
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Comment #9 posted by john wayne on September 04, 2002 at 10:17:26 PT
Wolfgang is unfortunately right
Yep, another report/recommendation for the porcine class to ignore.  Actually, they won't ignore it.  Here's what they'll say:"Kahm-yuh-nists in sosh-uh-list canada want to smoke dope. so they paid a bunch of big-guvmint types to say that dope should be legal.  But we KNOW that JUH-HEE-ZIZ sez that dope should be illegal and NIGGERS and MESICANS should be in JAIL for smokin' it. So there. Now go bust some more teenagers so they'll get raped in jail to show that we're right about dope ruining yer life."
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Comment #8 posted by TroutMask on September 04, 2002 at 10:14:58 PT
Too Late
The DEA is already having a fit over talk about decrim'ing and now the SENATE says LEGALIZE. I predict a positive change in Canadian law by the time we go to Canada on vacation, early 2004, probably sooner.Canada will gain a big boost in tourism for sure, but more importantly Mexico isn't going to watch Canada legalize and reap the benefits while Mexico remains illegal and loses tourism to Canada. At the very least, the Mexican states bordering the US will also legalize after Canada.-TM
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Comment #7 posted by John Tyler on September 04, 2002 at 10:02:12 PT
Canada
The DEA and other control freaks are going to have a fit over this. When this goes through it will mean increased tourism for Canada, unless Nevada gets there first. 
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Comment #6 posted by Windminstrel on September 04, 2002 at 09:43:04 PT
What does this mean?
How powerful are Canuckian Senate committees?
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Comment #5 posted by firedog on September 04, 2002 at 09:41:09 PT
Every one of these commission reports...
is another coal in our fire.The US, UK, and now Canada have all had government-commissioned reports that have made strong cases for legalization. So why don't we use them to our advantage?True, these reports have been ignored by the powers that be... but suppose the results of the Canadian report were distributed to the voters in Nevada, for instance... it adds more legitimacy to our position in the eyes of those who need to have a "government stamp of approval" to believe something. And there are many people like that.Also, the date on this new one is September 2002, as up-to-date as you can get... it's fresh and demolishes a lot of the antis' arsenal. If only I had the money to send out a mass mailing to every household in Nevada!
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Comment #4 posted by puff_tuff on September 04, 2002 at 09:34:46 PT
Senate News Confrence
For those who missed it, you can hear the press conference at:http://drugpolicycentral.com/real/cmap/iddi.rmIt's just over an hour long
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Comment #3 posted by SWAMPIE on September 04, 2002 at 09:32:55 PT
YEEEEHHHAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Canabda!!!!!!ONWARDTHROUGHTHEFOG!!!!!SWAMPIE
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Comment #2 posted by WolfgangWylde on September 04, 2002 at 09:31:07 PT
Unfortunately, it really is History....
...and those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Every, no, make that EVERY, major commission that has ever looked into the subject dating back to before I was born have recommended that the marijuana laws be repealed. And every one has been soundly ignored. This one may be different, but the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.
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Comment #1 posted by TroutMask on September 04, 2002 at 09:15:22 PT
History Being Made!
haha! THERE it is! Thanks FoM!-TM
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