cannabisnews.com: U.S. Fear of Liberalized Pot Laws Unwarranted










  U.S. Fear of Liberalized Pot Laws Unwarranted

Posted by CN Staff on May 06, 2003 at 07:38:33 PT
By Bill Cleverly, Times Colonist  
Source: Times-Colonist  

Americans must be smoking their own if they think liberalization of Canadian marijuana laws will result in a flood of Canadian bud crossing the border, says the founder of the Compassion Club of Vancouver Island."It's estimated that Canada produces two per cent of the cannabis that gets into the U.S.," Philippe Lucas said Monday. "By comparison, Mexico produces 46 per cent.
We're small potatoes no matter how you count it and, of course, the U.S. is a bigger drug exporting nation than a drug importing nation if you look at hard drugs like cocaine, heroin and metaphetamines."So we should be more concerned about tightening our borders than they are."Lucas was responding to U.S. officials who are warning that decriminalization of marijuana, as proposed by the Chrétien Liberals, will be political folly.Compassion clubs are non-profit medical marijuana buying clubs founded to provide the critically ill alternatives to underground drug dealers.Last week David Murray, special assistant in the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, warned Canada is at a "critical juncture" and suggested U.S. authorities would have to take action "to prevent the flow of illicit substances" into the U.S. from Canada.Officials in Bellingham, Wash., are already complaining their court system is being strained by a string of border pot busts.Lucas termed Murray's statements "mostly chest beating.""We've been told that our borders have already been tightened up anyway to prevent terrorism. Are they now telling us they're going to tighten them more for the bigger threat of cannabis? That to me seems a little bit of a policy shift."He said several state laws now fly in the face of the U.S. national policy and he cited a recent trip to Oakland, Calif., as an example."I went to a (compassion) club that serves 15,000 people and sold $60,000 worth of cannabis every day and on this same strip there were four other clubs as well. In California alone, there are 30,000 people who are using marijuana medically on a state-wide legal basis whereas in Canada, here, where we're doing it on a federal basis, we've got less than 1,000 users."So in a lot of ways the U.S. is being more progressive at the state level than we are."Canada is looking at decriminalization, not legalization. Possession of a small amount of pot could result in a fine but not a criminal record.Lucas gives decriminalization -- as proposed federally -- only "lukewarm support" saying Ottawa is looking at a system of high fines to replace criminal charges. A similar system in Australia resulted in a 45 per cent rate of non-payment of fines and more people being jailed for non-payment than were ever jailed for possession. "I don't think it's going to have a very positive effect on Canadian cannabis users or otherwise," he said.Lucas will be making a presentation next week to Health Canada's office of Cannabis Medical Access Advisory Committee -- an advisory committee guiding medical marijuana policy in Canada."We have some pretty serious concerns. The first is that it's become almost impossible for people to take part in the program because it's just far too onerous."The second is with the $10 million spent so far in 31/2 years of this program's existence, there's never been a single gram or seed or joint supplied to a single Canadian. So we're certainly going to talk about making the hemp that is being grown by the Canadian government by Prairie Plant Systems more available."Complete Title: U.S. Fear of Liberalized Pot Laws Unwarranted, Argues IslanderSource: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)Author: Bill Cleverly, Times ColonistPublished: Tuesday, May 06, 2003Copyright: 2003 Times ColonistContact: letters times-colonist.comWebsite: http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/Related Articles & Web Sites:VICShttp://www.thevics.com/Prairie Plant Systems http://www.prairieplant.com/ Ottawa Must Decide What To Do About Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16100.shtmlThe Catch-22 of Compassion http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15592.shtml

Home    Comment    Email    Register    Recent Comments    Help






 


Comment #5 posted by Doobinie on May 06, 2003 at 10:12:32 PT

puff_tuff and Sam Adams
I am with puff_tuff. I believe that it was Randy White from the Canadian Alliance (Canadian Ass Monkeys to your Republicans) who said that the Supreme Court was to render its decision today. I hope he was right about this.And the walls came a-tumblin' down...Love and Peace,Doobinie
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on May 06, 2003 at 10:02:47 PT

What?
I thought they said they were going to decide this week as well. 6 months? Oh well.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #3 posted by puff_tuff on May 06, 2003 at 09:07:03 PT

Sam and others
"Seriously, if the Court legalizes this week"Do not expect a decision for 6-8 MONTHS, that's the average time for the Supreme Court.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on May 06, 2003 at 08:10:24 PT

Canadian media
Let's hope those Supreme Court judges have been reading the newspapers! I think it was Keith Stroup who pointed out that the pathetic US media coverage of our Supreme Court case (i.e., lack of any criticism) was the catalyst enabling Bush to start the raids. It's true, there's only one entity with more power over the politicians than the corporate elite: the media. Anything that makes the pols look bad in the press sends them scurrying for cover, they have no spine or principle whatsoever.Seriously, if the Court legalizes this week, I am immediately planning a couple trips up there. Montreal Jazz Fest. is one of the worlds best, this would be a great summer to check it out.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #1 posted by Dark Star on May 06, 2003 at 08:04:51 PT

Who Do You Trust
Compare the pronouncements of Dr. Murray (a social anthropologist turned government propaganda mouthpiece) to those of Mr. Lucas (a school teacher turned compassion club provider). Who is telling the truth? Who is more compelling? I'd say the ONDCP and prohibition are on the ropes. They just don't realize it yet.More about Phil: He got Hepatitis C from a transfusion, and because of that, had to give up teaching young children. He uses cannabis as medicine, which seems to improve various symptoms of the disease. He also went to the mat for his Vancouver Island Compassion Club Society. When their medicine was robbed, he reported the crime to the police, and then had to endure his own prosecution, which he won handily, with compliments from the court.In the Canadian Senate Report, the work of Philippe and Hilary Black in Vancouver was singled out as a model of how cannabis could be reasonably administered to patients. In this country, they would be criminals. When it comes to Canada vs. the USA, "Vive la difference!"
[ Post Comment ]





  Post Comment