cannabisnews.com: Time To Get Off The Pot





Time To Get Off The Pot
Posted by CN Staff on December 15, 2002 at 08:04:11 PT
Editorial
Source: Calgary Sun
The time has come to get off the pot and decriminalize pot. At last, it looks as though this incompetent federal government is going to do something right for a change and proceed with implementing some of the recommendations released Thursday in the Commons Report of the Special Committee on the Non-Medical use of Drugs. For too long in this country, the penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana have been out of proportion to marijuana's negative impacts and public opinion. 
What that has meant is all of us -- even the majority of Canadians who do not smoke cannabis -- have been paying big-time for a policy that is out of step with reality and common sense. Scarce police and court resources have been squandered on busting and prosecuting weekend tokers while more serious crimes go uninvestigated and unprosecuted. Committee chair and Liberal MP Paddy Torsney made it clear that the report insists marijuana will continue to be illegal. "We concluded that the possession of marijuana should remain illegal and trafficking in any amount of cannabis should remain a crime," said Torsney during a press conference. "Smoking any amount of marijuana is unhealthy, but the consequences of conviction for a small amount of marijuana for personal use are disproportionate to the potential harm," she added. The report, that included members from all political parties in the House of Commons, recommends that people possessing and cultivating marijuana in amounts less than 30 grams (1.1 ounces) would be fined if caught rather than getting a criminal record as is now the case. Every year, some 20,000 Canadians are convicted for possession or cultivation of marijuana, which clogs up our courts and judges and poses the risk of more serious cases being thrown out of court because of unreasonable delays. But even as this very reasonable report was being released, U.S. drug czar John Walters started spouting alarmist rhetoric and even hinted that if the recommendations become law, tighter border controls to "protect American citizens" will be put into place. Perhaps it's time the U.S. government -- so insistent that it is a government "of the people and for the people" start paying attention to those people and start loosening its draconian, punitive and costly battle with marijuana -- a relatively benign recreational drug and one that is increasingly being used as an effective medicine for some of the most ill members of our society. In a CNN/Time poll released last month, fully 80% of Americans think adults should be able to use marijuana legally for medical purposes. Fully 47% say they have tried marijuana at least once -- and that would include the country's last two presidents -- and 72% say people arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana should be fined, not jailed. In Canada, our Justice Minister, Martin Cauchon, has admitted to being a marijuana user in the past. He has stated that decriminalizing possession of pot will become the law of the land early in the new year. According to Torsney, 30% of Canadians admit to having smoked pot, which sounds like a low number to us. But in a poll conducted a couple of years ago, fully four out of every five Canadians are in favour of decriminalizing the possession of marijuana. Another positive spinoff from this new law will hopefully be that the production of hemp -- once the largest cash crop in Canada prior to the First World War -- will be allowed to occur and as a result, we can save more of our forests from needless destruction for production of paper. We are also in favour of the report's recommendation to educate Canadians about risks associated with marijuana -- including that it is as hard on the lungs as cigarettes. Despite what critics say, we do not believe that fining people instead of incarcerating them will increase cannabis use in Canada. What it will do, however, is increase the time our police and courts will have to go after real criminals. The time for talk is over. The blue smoke has cleared. It's time to get off the pot and decriminalize pot. It's simply the RIGHT thing to do -- in every sense of the word. Note: Marijuana cases clog courts and cost Canadians big-time.Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)Published: December 15, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Calgary SunContact: callet sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyicalgary.com/calsun.shtmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmHigh Time for Law Changehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14985.shtmlUnder The Maple Leaf: Pot Politics http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14973.shtmlCommittee To Recommend 30-Gram Pot Limit http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14951.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by Patrick on December 15, 2002 at 08:30:07 PT
It's time to stop jailing us.
Seems the debate over "legalization" or "decriminalization" or whatever you want to call it, is causing arguements and disagreements in comments posted here. Lets not let semantics sidetrack the issue. Any "ization" that prevents the jack-booted badge-wearing government thugs from handcuffing and JAILING us for possesion or growing a few cannabis plants in the family garden is an "ization" in the right direction. My 2 pence.
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