cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Pros and Cons Marijuana Pros and Cons Posted by CN Staff on December 28, 2002 at 09:07:57 PT By Dianne Wood, Record Staff Source: Kitchener-Waterloo Record Kitchener -- Sean Doiron tried smoking marijuana as a teenager but it made him paranoid and sick. When he was high, he thought people were talking about him so he secluded himself. He threw up and sometimes passed out. Because of these bad experiences, Doiron, who manages a Kitchener hemp shop, no longer uses marijuana. Yet he thinks the drug should be decriminalized. The manager of Shakedown Street on King Street West in downtown Kitchener doesn't see any difference between smoking marijuana and drinking. Just as the prohibition against alcohol was lifted, the ban on marijuana should be too, he believes. "It's been proven many times . . . that marijuana is less addictive,'' Doiron said. "I don't know anybody that physically needs to smoke marijuana. It doesn't cause the liver problems that alcohol causes.'' A parliamentary committee recently recommended fines rather than criminal convictions for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Canada's Justice Minister Martin Cauchon is close to decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of pot. Although some feel that's a good idea, others fear it will send young people the wrong message about a drug that may not be so harmless. "Does decriminalization mean it's not that bad?'' asked Matt Torigian, inspector of investigative services for Waterloo regional police. If that's the message that's sent, "then we've destroyed any good that may come of this,'' he said. Torigian, who made a presentation to the parliamentary committee last winter, believes young people should be discouraged from using marijuana, which he sees as harmful. Torigian won't say he's opposed to decriminalization but only if the move is balanced with a national drug strategy. "If that's what this report is talking about, if it's suggesting we need to come up with better strategies to promote healthy lifestyle choices for our young people, we would certainly be in favour. . .'' he said. The committee said smoking any amount of marijuana is unhealthy but that the consequences of being convicted of possessing a small amount of pot for personal use are too harsh. A criminal record makes it hard to get work or travel to a foreign country. The special parliamentary committee on the non-medicinal use of drugs recommended treating the possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana as a regulatory offence. Torigian said 30 grams translates into 60 joints or marijuana cigarettes. "Ask a parent if they want their 18-year-old child walking around with 60 joints,'' he said. "Regardless of whether they received a criminal conviction or a heavy fine . . . is this a healthy lifestyle choice?'' Craig Parry, a criminal defence lawyer who has defended many people charged with drug offences, supports marijuana decriminalization. "I think local judges and appeal courts generally view simple possession as a very low-end type of crime,'' he said. "I don't view marijuana as being any more harmful than other legal drugs such as alcohol or tobacco. It's sort of a paradox to outlaw one of these vices and not the others.'' He said if the government regulated pot and taxed the sale of it, "You'd put the black market out of business, probably. You'd make enough income from it to offset any health-care detriments.'' Decriminalization would free up police to focus more on serious drugs such as crack cocaine and heroin, he said. People who use these drugs are more of a danger to society because they often commit crime to support their habits, he said. "You don't hear of spin-off crimes like that from marijuana . . . someone smoking a joint and having a domestic assault with their wife.'' Parry said decriminalizing marijuana possession would reduce the number of cases clogging the court system. Because of the consequences of a criminal conviction, he often recommends clients fight possession charges and go to trial. "The downside is too big for a conviction but the risks of a trial are minimal,'' he said. "It's costly for the court system. There's no incentive for people to make it easy on the Crown or court system.'' Jim Leising, director of prosecution services for the Department of Justice's Ontario regional office, said there are actually very few cases of possession of small amounts of pot that make it to court. Throughout Ontario, those cases comprised just 1.08 per cent of federal prosecutors' drug possession caseload last year and 1.84 per cent in the last half of this year. "There's very few of these cases. I don't think that's what's motivating this,'' Leising said. And Torigian said police aren't spending a lot of time out looking for people with a few joints to arrest. "We have not dedicated any resources into investigation of small amounts of possession,'' he said. When charges are laid, it's usually a spin-off from another investigation which sparks a police search, he said. Many first-time offenders convicted of possessing a small amount of pot in Waterloo Region are diverted from the court system if they agree to take an appropriate counselling course. Others are treated more seriously by being given given fines or probation but end up with a criminal record. Leising said it isn't yet clear how decriminalization would be put into effect. It's possible the regulatory scheme could be administered by the courts or by some parallel type of tribunal in the same way traffic offences are processed, he said. Torigian would like to see those who plead guilty to possessing small amounts of pot be given "a heavy fine, mandatory counselling, community service work, rehabilitation, treatment program attendance.'' As far as he's concerned, smoking marijuana is just as harmful as smoking cigarettes. Yet society puts warnings on cigarette packages and, in Waterloo Region, bans smoking in public places, he said. Society also warns citizens to drink responsibly because of the potentially devastating effects of alcohol, he said. Doiron, who was first introduced to marijuana in Grade 9, says he knows some people who live productive lives while smoking marijuana recreationally. He also knows some who aren't productive. "I think it stems more from their personality than it does from smoking or drinking,'' he said. Note: Decriminalize or just say no? Questions about addiction loom large in debate. Source: Kitchener-Waterloo Record (CN ON)Author: Dianne Wood, Record Staff Published: Saturday, December 28, 2002Copyright: 2002 Kitchener-Waterloo RecordContact: letters therecord.comWebsite: http://www.therecord.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmIs Canada Going To Pot?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15037.shtmlWe Make Our Own Laws in Canada http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15032.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by BGreen on December 29, 2002 at 17:21:20 PT Thanks For The Richard Cowen Link, JSM I got the new High Times yesterday and there is an excerpt of Chris Bennett's book. It made me start thinking, so I did a bunch of research with my bible software and, believe it or not, discussed with my wife the exact conclusion that Richard Cowen came to, even talking about Ashcroft using the CriscoŽ.I told her with all of the benefits God put into this single plant, the only reason I've been able to come up with why other Christians seem so blind to what I see as an obvious carefully designed miracle plant like cannabis could be they've been deceived by the ultimate deceiver, the father of lies. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The GCW on December 29, 2002 at 16:49:40 PT Oh, and there are no CONS except Bush, Ashcroft, Walters right on down, & they are not conning Us or Our Father, but rather themselves. They con themselves of the ability to see Truth. That is described in an area subtitled Man of Lawlessness 2 Th.2:1-17, and bingo, 2 Thes. 2:11-12. http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=2THES%2B2&showfn=on&showxref=on&language=english&version=NASB&x=17&y=8 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. And oh! If You get arrested, look for Epaphroditus, hanging in and out around Phil. 4:18 (subtitled God's Provisions :10-23). http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=PHIL%2B4&showfn=on&showxref=on&language=english&version=NASB&x=12&y=1018 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. Yes. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by The GCW on December 29, 2002 at 16:30:53 PT JSM - & ALL - understand the "Sin of the Prie JSM JSM JSM JSM JSM JSM You are a Bulls-eye.You keep on too. Thanks for the encouragement. Thanks for the Cowen link, it is another Bulls... (I read it this morn...) When the Truth according to Holy Spirit of Truth exposes items of mutual benefit, please make it known here, first.Many human links to Jesus Christ’s promised new teacher, the Holy Spirit of Truth, is perhaps the only and last chance We have to reverse the Sin of the Priest. And if You don’t know what that is, check out the area subtitled (New American Standard Bible, which has subtitles and is translated into the English We Americans use today) Sin of the Priest in Malachi 1:6-14. http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=MAL%2B1&showfn=on&showxref=on&language=english&version=NASB&x=11&y=9 (read it all) 11 "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts. "But you are profaning it, in that you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.' 13 "You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the LORD of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" says the LORD. =-=Now before You read this pray that Our Father would show You the truth as He wishes for You to know it. This, then, is full of Truth that is growing as We speak. Spend a few days there if needed.There IS a difference between a disobedient Christians and obedient Christians. We are told to test the spirits, and Christ God Our Father, through cannabis, helps make it easy.I want to say a lot, but for now let this be.The Green Collar Workers, a growing rock. A GEM.Stoner & ClimaxThe Green Collar Worker. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by p4me on December 28, 2002 at 19:29:58 PT The new thing It was yesterday when I read about hemp protein isolate which is 70% protein. It would compete with soy and wheat proteins an athelete might use or anyone that wanted protein for that matter. I also read about hemp coffee. If you track down the links on this link you might find something you did not know before- http://www.remyc.com/hempstory.html1 [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by JSM on December 28, 2002 at 18:57:32 PT Hemp vodka What a waste of hemp seeds. :)Anyway, this shows the fear the prohibitionists have over this plant. It knows no boundaries or reason and goes far beyond economics, science, politics, or religion. All this illustrates, to me anyway, is that there is really is something about this plant that transcends any reason ever given by prohibitionists for our current policies. Richard Cowan at http://marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=610 explains this very succinctly in his commentary and quite frankly I really believe he is right.Cannabis is everything and much more than any of us here can understand or conceive. Posting these views here and elsewhere really is continuing the good fight. I want to personally thank anyone - even the prohibitionists who have posted here, as invariably their postings only serve to illustrate their prejudice, bias, and ignorance - for taking the time and effort to share their knowledge, experience, and support in this effort. If this group continues to fight no matter what happens to us personally, then we will prevail and the long night of prohibition will pass and the new day will be glorious indeed. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by The GCW on December 28, 2002 at 16:32:26 PT Hemp Vodka Hemp Vodka in the UK by Dana Larsen (26 Dec, 2002) THC-less vodka still raises prohibitionists' ireA new alcoholic beverage that contains hemp seeds and vodka has gone on sale in the UK. Cannabis Vodka, produced by a company in the Czech Republic, is now available at a few locations in England, and over the Internet. The drink is made by adding hemp seeds during the bottling process. Although the drink contains no marijuana or other psychoactive ingredients (aside from alcohol), some anti-drug groups complained. A municipal Drug Action Team co-ordinator claimed that "by selling this drink they are saying it is OK to take cannabis with alcohol... It shouldn't be allowed." http://www.hempbc.com/articles/2766.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Nasarius on December 28, 2002 at 15:50:17 PT Quick response ------- Does decriminalization mean it's not that bad?'' asked Matt Torigian, inspector of investigative services for Waterloo regional police. If that's the message that's sent, "then we've destroyed any good that may come of this,'' he said. -------Does the fact that alcohol is completely legal for adults mean it's not "bad"? Of course not.------- "Ask a parent if they want their 18-year-old child walking around with 60 joints,'' he said. -------Relevance? An 18-year old is not a "child", but a legal adult. 60 joints is about a month's worth of somewhat heavy smoking. That's completely reasonable.------- "Regardless of whether they received a criminal conviction or a heavy fine . . . is this a healthy lifestyle choice?'' -------Again, relevance? Smoking tobacco isn't a particularly "healthy lifestyle choice" either, but we're not sending them to jail or even fining them.------- "I don't view marijuana as being any more harmful than other legal drugs such as alcohol or tobacco. It's sort of a paradox to outlaw one of these vices and not the others.'' -------Precisely.------- Torigian would like to see those who plead guilty to possessing small amounts of pot be given "a heavy fine, mandatory counselling, community service work, rehabilitation, treatment program attendance.'' -------Why?!? You're punishing people for doing something to their own bodies that hurts no one else!------- As far as he's concerned, smoking marijuana is just as harmful as smoking cigarettes. -------Hypocrisy alert...------- Society also warns citizens to drink responsibly because of the potentially devastating effects of alcohol, he said. -------Hypocrisy alert #2... And yet we're not levying fines on alcoholics, are we? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment