cannabisnews.com: Challenges as Marijuana Marches Toward Mainstream Challenges as Marijuana Marches Toward Mainstream Posted by CN Staff on February 27, 2003 at 12:36:39 PT By James McCarten, Canadian Press Source: Canadian Press Toronto -- For the young owner of a hip new specialty shop, it's a special feeling when someone's mom or dad comes in to do a little last-minute Christmas shopping for the kids. But when the shop in question is the Friendly Stranger, a boutique that specializes in pipes, papers and other pot-smoking paraphernalia, it can only mean one thing: the times, they are a-changin' once again. "They come in, and they're like, 'He wanted this, this, and this; I have no idea what this is, but I know it's only for cannabis, so it's OK,' " Robin Ellins, founder of the Friendly Stranger, said with a chuckle. "It's been a big change for us to see that happening over the years." Canada, it seems, is in the grips of a 21st-century bout of reefer madness. Seriously ill people who qualify can get permission from Ottawa to smoke pot to ease their symptoms; an Ontario judge has even ordered the federal government to provide them with the drug. That ruling last month widened a legal loophole that has hamstrung the laws governing possession of small quantities of marijuana. For now, judges won't convict in such cases, even if those charged are willing to plead guilty. And while Ottawa is appealing the ruling, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon has said he wants to relax Canada's possession laws, a move that recent opinion polls suggest has a lot of public support. It's all very exciting for lawyer and cannabis crusader Alan Young, who represented participants in Canada's medical-marijuana program during their successful court challenge late last year. Such a challenge never would have succeeded 10 years ago, he said. "Something changed in the 1990s," said Young. "What changed, I don't know. But something definitely did." Statistics from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto suggest that the number of Canadians who smoke pot is on the rise, especially among teenagers. In 2001, 11.2 per cent of Canadian adults surveyed by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health reported using marijuana in the past 12 months, compared with 8.6 per cent in 1998. Among men, 15.4 per cent said they'd used pot during the past year, compared with 11.4 per cent in 1994; consumption rates for women were largely steady at 7.3 per cent in 2001. Canadians aged 18 to 29 were smoking more as well -26.8 per cent compared with 18.3 per cent in 1996 - as were 30 to 49 year olds, who reported a 15.8 per cent consumption rate in 2001, compared with 11.3 per cent in 1996. For teens, the numbers are even more striking. A CAMH study of Ontario adolescents found that 29.8 per cent of respondents in 2001 reported consuming pot during the past year, compared with a scant 12.7 per cent in 1993. Pot even outpaced tobacco, which was used by just 23.6 per cent of the respondents, who were from grades 7 to 12. More boys than girls - 33.7 per cent versus 26 per cent - reported using pot in the last year. In 2001, respondents who reported selling cannabis set an all-time high of 8.3 per cent, compared with just three per cent in 1991. "I think people are a little bit more open, and in their own little way, trying to push the envelope a little bit," Ellins said. "Why should someone be able to walk down the street smoking a cigarette if they can't walk down the street smoking a joint? The first one is deadly, and the second one's not." So-called marijuana "grow houses" have become commonplace. Police raid them on a regular basis, often in quiet, suburban neighbourhoods where large-scale drug traffickers aren't supposed to be common. On Wednesday, police busted two home grow operations next door to each other along with a third on a nearby street in the suburb of Markham, north of Toronto. In 1991, there were just over 33,000 cannabis-related offences - possession, trafficking, importation and production - committed in Canada, according to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. In 2001, that number had almost doubled to 70,624. Young said he's still skeptical of Ottawa's sincerity about decriminalization, which would see possession of 30 grams or less of pot become a regulatory offence that doesn't lead to a criminal record. Eventually, governments will come to realize that marijuana has as much revenue-generating potential as society's other addictions, most notably alcohol and gambling, Young said. "Suddenly, the government will be telling you how benign it is." Not so fast, warned Dr. Harold Kalant, a professor emeritus of pharmacology at the University of Toronto and a world-renowned expert on addiction research. Anything that has mind-altering effects clearly has the potential to do serious damage, said Kalant. Like alcohol, it just depends on who uses it, how they use it and how much they consume. "People have read and heard so often that cannabis is a safe drug that they don't realize that any drug that is able to do anything is able to do harm as well," Kalant said. "It's a question of how much you have to use to run into harmful effects." Studies around the world have linked marijuana use to schizophrenia, lowered IQs and cancer, among other things, said Kalant. And while no one's ever died of an overdose of cannabis, there's a growing body of evidence to suggest that it's been playing a major role in fatal car crashes for years. "There's no question that it has been shown to impair driving ability." Which is why police forces across Canada are training select officers to spot motorists who might be driving under the influence of marijuana, a drug that's not as easily detected in a spot check as alcohol. Marijuana's not the harmless herb it might have been 20 years ago, said Toronto police deputy chief Mike Boyd, also chairman of the drug abuse committee of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. "Marijuana today is up to 500 per cent stronger than the marijuana that most moms and dads across the country remember from the late 1960s and early 1970s," Boyd said. Parents, he said, "are completely blown away when they hear that. They have no idea." Technology that would allow police to identify pot-smoking motorists the way breathalyser equipment can isolate a drunk driver is still in its infancy, Boyd said. In the meantime, police need to take action, he said. "There's a recognition that there are more people involved in drug-impaired driving than there was; there's an escalating trend there." All the recent talk about legalization, decriminalization and marijuana's virtues as medical therapy haven't helped matters either, said Boyd. "It's sending the unintended message - or maybe it's the intended message - that cannabis is a benign drug," he said. "All of the talk . . . is sending a very confusing message to Canadians in general and young people in particular." Boyd, who's also the chairman of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police's drug abuse committee, is pushing provinces to introduce new laws to help police manage issues of drug abuse behind the wheel. Current laws allow police to use sobriety tests to examine a motorist's motor skills when they suspect alcohol impairment - walking a straight line or touching one's nose, for instance. "We need to change the legislation in order to enable police officers to make those demands when they reasonably suspect a person is under the influence of or impaired by drugs," Boyd said. "Some federal help would be beneficial there." Boyd said he also wants the provinces to introduce legislation allowing police to temporarily suspend driver's licences and impound vehicles in the interest of public safety when drug impairment is suspected. Back at the Friendly Stranger, Ellins has recently hired a staff member in her 50s to handle the older folks who are coming in with more regularity. Pinstriped executive types are more common these days, too, he said. Customers have to be 19 or over, Ellins added, and those who aren't are encouraged to bring a parent or to take literature home for them to look over. "If somebody comes in who's 17 or 18 and takes our information, goes home, puts it on the coffee table and starts that conversation with the family at home . . . this issue will get resolved," he said. "It's the parents and the grandparents who vote." Complete Title: Lawmakers, Police Face New Challenges as Marijuana Marches Toward MainstreamNewshawk: puff_tuffSource: Canadian PressAuthor: James McCarten, Canadian Press Published: Thursday, February 27, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Canadian PressRelated Articles & Web Sites:The Friendly Stranger http://www.friendlystranger.com/Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmPot: Time for National Debate http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15544.shtmlJust Say 'Yes' - Maclean's Magazine http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15548.shtmlPot Support in Full Flowerhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15522.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #12 posted by FoM on February 28, 2003 at 12:46:31 PT hempcanadian Thank you. I understand that better. Keep on keepin on! We've come to far to turn back now or we might as well forget it all. That's how I feel. I know war is coming but this is very important too. That's why I stay on the topic so closely. I don't want it to get lost in war news since we aren't able to stop them from doing what they re going to do. Maybe we can win this war on this medicinal plant though. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by hempcanadian on February 28, 2003 at 12:35:43 PT: Cannadabis Well Fom the appeal will be heard and a judgement drawn from it. If in our favour the Gov has until June to clean up it's act and ease the medical access for sick people. In the Gov's favour ?? Then we hope the Supreme Court cases in Spring will set us free regards herbman The Hemp Canadian [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on February 28, 2003 at 11:54:46 PT hempcanadian I don't understand all the lawyer talk. I know we have a few lawyers here on CNews but I understand them. So what is next for you all as far as medical use is concerned?PS: I meant 500 % not times. I engaged my typing fingers before my brain I suppose! LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by hempcanadian on February 28, 2003 at 11:46:17 PT: Appeal Yes Fom that is one of the articles on the Gov'ts appeal of our case. The judge said it was simply unconstitutional to have sick and dying people buy their medicine from the mafia and crimegangs! The same could be said for norml recreational users!! I refuse to jeopordize my life to buy cannabis from heroin dealing gun toting drug dealers Gotta be unconstitutional don't ya think?? Or was that constipated ??? haha regards herbman The Hemp Canadian [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on February 28, 2003 at 10:37:39 PT hempcanadian 500 times! If that were the case cannabis enthusiasts would be easy to find because they would be floating and they could just snatch them right out of the sky! LOL! That's just too funny. It this the article about the appeal? http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread15448.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by hempcanadian on February 28, 2003 at 10:24:52 PT: Cops are out of control here! Hey Fom,I heard the cop's claim of 500% stronger weed on a local radio station www.680news.com/ here a couple of weeks ago! I almost choked on my roach! So I called the radio station commentary line and left a message. I told them I heard the ridiculous claim of 500% stronger cannabis and said the statement made the police look like idiots- that the claim was just toooooo funny- and I laughed my head off on the phone lol Well they played it on the air a week later and surrounded my laughter with more canned audience giggles which made it even funnier-twas kewl fer sure. Then a few days ago there was a bust of a grow house on fire in Oshawa- a burb of Toronto a few days back. The police had evacuated part of the neighbourhood and also made the nearby public school shut down it's fresh air ventilation system so that the deadly and poisonous gro-op fumes would not kill any of the little children being brainwashed by our VIP(dare) program. Funny how growing veggies and herbs are perfectly fine but growing marijuana with the same ferts and lights suddenly becomes a weapon of mass destruction???? Our coppers here are fighting for their jobs!! Poor babies! Flip burgs like the rest of us! You uniformed morons! regards herbman Oh as you know the Gov has appealed our landmark medical case! Will let you know if I hear of anything to brighten our days! The Hemp Canadian [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by John Tyler on February 27, 2003 at 19:15:34 PT Was cannabis OK 20 years ago? Marijuana's not the harmless herb it might have been 20 years ago, said Toronto police deputy chief Mike Boyd.If cannabis was harmless 20 years ago as this guy conceedes, why wasn't it legalized back then? Is he trying to say it should not be legal now because it is too strong? What a load of BS. Guys like this don't know what they are talking about. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by pokesmotter on February 27, 2003 at 15:20:06 PT: whoa "Marijuana today is up to 500 per cent stronger than the marijuana that most moms and dads across the country remember from the late 1960s and early 1970s," Boyd said."holy jeez that sounds like john walters [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on February 27, 2003 at 14:47:37 PT This guy is a real yahoo "People have read and heard so often that cannabis is a safe drug that they don't realize that any drug that is able to do anything is able to do harm as well," Kalant said. "It's a question of how much you have to use to run into harmful effects." Studies around the world have linked marijuana use to schizophrenia, lowered IQs and cancer, among other things, said Kalant. "OK, so why don't you enlighten us Dr? How much cannabis do I have to use to go insane, lower my IQ, or get cancer? I can't wait to hear the answer, since no one has ever come down with cancer who doesn't use tobacco. Is cannabis safe? Well, most people would call alcohol a safe drug, and it kills 150,000 Americans per year. Cannabis kills zero. I would call that relatively safe. As for driving, I've personally known probably about 20 people who have been in car wrecks because were drunk over the years. Three of them were killed. I know a lot of stoners, including many people who toke specifically for long drives. I've never known even one person who wrecked because of using cannabis.But hey, it's America. I should trust the Big Government over my own thoughts. I should ask the police what drugs to put in my body, the media looks to them as the ultimate authority on drugs, they must be really smart. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Virgil on February 27, 2003 at 13:29:13 PT DEAwatch on bong terrorist 27Feb2003- 13:01PST presents the following words at DEAwatch:Someone wrote yesterday, "...it was in the early 1970's when we busted a lot of head shops... and within a year or so everyone arrested had been exonerated due to a court ruling their freedom of speech rights were violated." Well, it looks like we're beat that record. We're hearing that some of the people we arrested have already had their charges dismissed and that most have been freed on their own recognizance... no bail was required by their judges. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo MD on February 27, 2003 at 13:15:48 PT: Thanks, Observer Dr. David Hadorn has recently done an excellent review of the major driving studies to date and concluded that there is no major risk with cannabis usage in isolation. Unfortunately, it is in a soon-to-be-released book from the Royal (UK) Pharmaceutical Society, and is not yet available.Remember what the Canadian Senate Report said: Cannabis alone poses little risk; when combined with alcohol the legal blood alcohol concentration should be lowered to 0.04%. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by observer on February 27, 2003 at 13:10:58 PT Cannabis/Driving Studies "And while no one's ever died of an overdose of cannabis, there's a growing body of evidence to suggest that it's been playing a major role in fatal car crashes for years. 'There's no question that it has been shown to impair driving ability.' " Don't believe the hype. Governments tend to tell you only what they want you to hear.Australia: No Proof Cannabis Put Drivers At Risk (2001) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1849/a09.htmlUK: Cannabis May Make You A Safer Driver (2000) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1161/a02.html University Of Toronto Study Shows Marijuana Not A Factor In Driving Accidents (1999) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases\1999\03\990325110700.htm Australia: Cannabis Crash Risk Less: Study (1998) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n945/a08.html Australia: Study Goes to Pot (1998) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n947/a06.htmletc. breaking pot-news http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pot [ Post Comment ] Post Comment