cannabisnews.com: Canada Will Decriminalize Pot: Mayor 





Canada Will Decriminalize Pot: Mayor 
Posted by CN Staff on September 10, 2002 at 12:08:11 PT
By Keith Fraser, The Province 
Source: Province 
As he prepares to give a speech at what's being billed as the "most important event ever" organized in the battle against drug dependency, Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen says he's convinced marijuana will eventually be legalized.A Senate committee said last week that the use of pot should be legal for anybody over 16 and could be sold under controlled circumstances. Owen says it's clearly time for a public debate on the issue.
"I think the public would be in favor of decriminalizing pot," Owen said yesterday. "I've always looked upon that as a first step. I'm convinced that eventually it will be legalized. I don't know if it will be next year or in a few years. We're in the same stage talking about marijuana as we were about alcohol in the 1920s when we had Prohibition."His comments appeared to go against the city's new police chief, Jamie Graham, who said last week no drugs should be legalized. He believes pot is a "gateway" drug that could lead to more harmful substances. Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?ID=F79EA1A2-654A-4770-B1E6-F41FB179EBFCNewshawk: Leon C.Source: Province, The (CN BC)Author: Keith Fraser, The Province Published: Tuesday, September 10, 2002Copyright: 2002 The ProvinceContact: provletters pacpress.southam.caWebsite: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/Related Articles:Canadian Panel Backs Legalizing Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14010.shtmlCanadian Senate Panel Calls For Legalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13998.shtmlSenators Want Pot Legalizedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13993.shtml 
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Comment #9 posted by kaptinemo on September 11, 2002 at 08:49:46 PT:
This is a shocker...
And I am not easily shocked...but this is where the ultimate end of all this 'save the children' crap while maintaining the prohibition of the drug trade is heading...and it could happen here:Study spotlights child "soldiers" in Rio's drug war 
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020909/ap_wo_en_po/brazil_child_soldiers_2Drug gangs in Brazil are not just using kids as couriers, but as infantry in their war with the police. That's right, as soldiers. Very well armed ones, too. Kids pitching grenades and exchanging small arms fire with police. And dying in such battles.This is what happens when you make a weed or a bush or a flower illegal, stupid antis! The blood of children like Esequiel Hernandez, Alberto Sepulveda, the Bowers infant, and now these Brazillian kids is on your hands!
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Comment #8 posted by SWAMPIE on September 11, 2002 at 02:21:33 PT
Kap..."He's tryin' to sing to our choir...........
      BUT CAN HE SING THE RIGHT LYRICS?
      ONWARDTHROUGHTHEFOG!!!!! SWAMPIE
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Comment #7 posted by VitaminT on September 10, 2002 at 16:14:04 PT
420wjaw
I'll pass - my interest is justice - not getting high! Like most of my herb-loving brethren I'm a thoughtful, creative, intelligent, productive human being an I'm entirely unwilling to accept a marginal status in the world for ANY reason - particularly not to appease a bunch of bigoted, irrational hatemongers.
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Comment #6 posted by wjaw420 on September 10, 2002 at 15:11:48 PT:
legalize pot
Well, since the government doesn't want the herb legal...lets just decriminalize it..meaning u could hjave 5 plants and 1 ounce...what does everyone think...
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Comment #5 posted by Nasarius on September 10, 2002 at 14:19:56 PT
Wow!
Congratulations, Canadians! Looks like you're going to be one of the few nations with legal MJ in just a few years.
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on September 10, 2002 at 13:26:03 PT:
This illustrates something else, too
How fast an anti pol will turn their coat when he or she senses the wind blowingin an opposite direction from his or her position.Mr. Owen was amongst the staunchest antis in the Vancouver area. Take a look here:BCCLA condemns mayor Owen’s crusade against Hemp B.C. 
http://www.bccla.org/pressreleases/98hemp.htmlfrom the article (please remember this was disseminated in 1998):In March of this year (1998), Shelley Francis (a.k.a. Sister Icee) bought the store from well-known pot promoter Marc Emery, and applied for a business licence. In April, Vancouver police enlisted U.S. naval intelligence operatives to go undercover and buy marijuana in the stores. They tried and failed. So they went out on the street, bought some dope, and went into the Café where they smoked it. With information gleaned from this clandestine operation, police obtained a search warrant and raided the stores, carrying off various pipes and bongs, Sister Icee’s new computer, and stacks of business records. Shortly thereafter, the store’s owner was charged with three counts of selling instruments for illicit drug use, which is still an offence under Canada's Criminal Code. A trial date has been set for July, 1999, at which time Sister Icee will defend herself and challenge the constitutionality of the law. In July, citing evidence of the alleged crime supplied by the police, the City sent Sister Icee a letter denying her a business licence, and announced a September "show cause" hearing. In August, Mayor Philip Owen (who had for months railed at the national and international publicity Hemp B.C. was receiving) was quoted in the New York Times as saying that "[T]he stores will be toast by September." After criticism from the BCCLA and the store's lawyer Brent Lokash, Mayor Owen has apparently agreed not to participate in the show cause hearing. (Emphasis mine -k.) In early September, it was learned that the City has hired an accountant to determine whether the stores had been dutifully paying their PST and GST and fulfilling other Revenue Canada obligations. Later that month, the store’s lawyer filed a petition in court asking that the "show cause" hearing be put off until the criminal charges have been dealt with. The hearing was adjourned pending the court’s ruling on the petition. Then, on September 30, the Vancouver Police raided the store again, confiscating more pipes and bongs, and cash. No charges have yet been laid.Yepper, ol' Phil was a real firebreather...until he smelled the tar-and-feathers a-cookin'. Now he's trying to sing in our choir...partly because because Marc Emery is campaigning for his job. Typical 'professional' pol...but we ain't fooled. "Meet the new boss, he's the same as the old boss". Sorry, Phil, you've screwed over too many people. Now it's your turn. 
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on September 10, 2002 at 12:40:29 PT
Windminstrel 
It is happening. I get tired but not so tired as to stop. Just when you don't know which way the news is going a little story happens that gives us hope like this one. The reason I believe that Canadian, British and mostly west coast news in the USA is important is because they have close connections and Canada and the UK are allies of the USA. Soon the USA has to get it. How are they going to feel launching their big media campaign after hearing and reading news about Noelle Bush? I still get amazed at how the news can seem like it will stop and that's all there will be and then something else happens and we are off and in the running again.
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Comment #2 posted by Windminstrel on September 10, 2002 at 12:32:49 PT
Wow, it's coming fast
the wall is coming down pretty quickly, isn't it? I think the Internet has helped a hell of a lot. Thanks FoM!
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on September 10, 2002 at 12:23:24 PT:
Here's the Rest plus Comment
But Owen, who has spoken to Graham about the issue, said he believes most people don't agree that pot is a stepping stone to cocaine or heroin and called Graham's comments the RCMP approach -- the "old war-on-drugs approach.""That's to me pie-in-the-sky thinking, that's 10 to 20 years old," said Owen, whose Montreal speech will deal with the so-called four pillars approach to attacking drug dependency. The Sept. 22 to 27 forum on drugs is expected to attract 3,000 delegates from 50 countries.The 24,000-member National Association of Professional Police, Canada's largest police association, yesterday opposed the Senate recommendation and asked Health Minister Anne McLellan to take the lead in cabinet and view the possible legalization of pot as a serious health and social issue.kfraser pacpress.southam.caComment: Every one of these LEO's who refutes the Senate Report must be made to at least read it! There is no gateway effect.
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