cannabisnews.com: Senator Banks Mellows Out On Marijuana Senator Banks Mellows Out On Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on July 16, 2003 at 07:01:51 PT By Jeremy Loome, Edmonton Sun Source: Edmonton Sun When Tommy Banks was a new senator a few years ago, someone asked him whether marijuana should be more available in Canada and he didn't like the idea. What a difference two years and 600-plus pages of research can make. Banks, who sat on a Senate committee that investigated the pot question, thinks the government move to supply pot to those with medical exemptions is a step in the right direction. A "baby step," mind you. The senator, who once suggested liberal pot laws would lead to interminable border problems with the U.S., is quite clear why research changed his mind and why he believes people should either be allowed to grow their own or buy it from a licensed distributor. "There has never, in history, been a good reason presented for marijuana being illegal," said Banks. "It's fundamentally important for people to understand that it's never been based on the facts. It's non-toxic, it's not addictive and has no provable, long-term irreversible effects. "Sure, if you smoke it all the time you've got the risk of cancer, but who sits around and smokes a whole pack of joints?" Banks said opponents of the Senate report - which called for decriminalization and government control, similar to liquor and tobacco - still can't poke holes in it, more than a year after it came out. "Let's face it, it's an emotional issue, first and foremost," said Banks. "When you have an emotional issue, whether it's abortion, capital punishment or pot, you get an emotionally based argument. "At that point, facts go out the window." Banks said Canada is heading in the right direction but that most federal politicians think backing the Senate position may be politically harmful. Polls are fairly evenly split over whether pot should be fully decriminalized. "If there are 44% still opposed, that's too much. No politician is going to take a chance that they might upset half of their electorate." Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Author: Jeremy Loome, Edmonton SunPublished: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: letters edm.sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyiedmonton.com/htdocs/edmsun.shtmlRelated Articles: Marijuana: ‘Everything’s in Limbo’ http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16697.shtmlNo Laws Ban Possession of Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16321.shtml Canadians Suggest Legalizing Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14333.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by Kegan on July 16, 2003 at 09:21:27 PT Sending more...... "If there are 44% still opposed, that's too much. No politician is going to take a chance that they might upset half of their electorate."Exactly. This is about politics and money. Not facts. No one EXPECTS facts form the government. We expect lies, and we are seldom disappointed.It is the MEDIA'S responsibility to publish the facts, but they seldom do. I have often wondered why that is. Seems the media is under the same mandates as our government.Russell BarthMedical Marijuana UserMMAR License HolderArtist/AuthorActivist/SurvivorOttawa [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Duzt on July 16, 2003 at 08:13:50 PT What about the other half of the electorate? "If there are 44% still opposed, that's too much. No politician is going to take a chance that they might upset half of their electorate." Well that makes another half (or more) that are going to not only be "upset", but many will suffer needlessly. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo MD on July 16, 2003 at 07:48:53 PT: Let's Compare People can learn, but only if they are willing. This article indicates that a senator actually changed his mind after learning the facts.Compare this with the articles that follow: Canadian doctors are scared because they think that they do not have the facts about clinical cannabis.If nothing else, WHY NOT READ THE CANADIAN SENATE REPORT AND LEARN WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by paulpeterson on July 16, 2003 at 07:23:03 PT CHANGING TIMES The trickle of politicians willing to reconsider the wrongdoing involved in our repeated "wars on drugs" (which started, probably, with Adam & Eve) is becomming a torrent.Why, even Senator Dick Durbin, of Illinois, (Illinois truly is a backwater on this issue, what with the endemic Al Capone bang-bang, rat-ta-tat style of rigid control from centralized handlers, etc. dictating all decisions), stood up to the Bush administration by trying to block the nomination of that handy Tandy lady and he even ENTERED THE 1999 INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE REPORT INTO THE SENATE RECORD!Durbin also sponsored the amendment which passed without dissent in the Senate to INVESTIGATE URANIUM-GATE!Durbin has, thereby, 1) ensured that the 99 IM will be fully debated in the Senate for the first time (when handy's confirmation is debated in the full Senate) & 2) ensured that Bush will have additional trouble over his bold-faced lies about those WMD's.Also, the fact that judges all over the world are refusing to send people to prison for mere "marijuana" offenses should goad these pols to greater and greater "controversy" regarding the lost drug war.People, just keep coming out of the "closet" in greater numbers and the pols will get more brave (I hope).Just checking in. Paul [ Post Comment ] Post Comment