cannabisnews.com: Pot Bill Has Confused, Contradictory Approach Pot Bill Has Confused, Contradictory Approach Posted by CN Staff on August 05, 2003 at 08:12:12 PT By NDP MP Libby Davies Source: Ottawa Hill Times Bill C-38, the so-called Decriminalization of Marijuana Bill, appears to take a more liberalized approach to cannabis. While cannabis possession will still be illegal, the bill would provide alternative penalties (fines) for possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana. Between 15 and 30 grams will mean a fine, or up to six months imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine. Penalties for all levels of production remain, including one-to-three plants at a $5,000 fine and/or 12 months in jail, and up to 14 years in jail (double the current maximum term of imprisonment) for 50 or more plants. Bill C-38 presents a contradictory and confused approach. On the one hand, it purports to offer a measure of decriminalization, but the political rhetoric and system of penalties point to a tougher and wider enforcement stance. Ironically, lower fines could lead to more people being punished, not less. Yet another contradiction in the bill is the "Catch-22" between cultivation which has not been decriminalized and personal possession of under 15 grams. In essence, you'd get a fine for minor possession, but you'd get a criminal record and jail time if you grow your own or buy! The bill is also silent on the question of amnesty for Canadians who currently have a criminal record for cannabis possession (about 600,000 Canadians). All in all, the bill perpetuates the myth that the criminal law can resolve problems relating to the use of drugs. If enforcement is the only "pillar" used in a drug strategy, little will be done to make sure that people make informed healthy decisions about their drug use. The Renewed Drug Strategy, also announced by the federal government, is far short of its mark. The $245-million over five years for education, prevention and treatment is barely half of what was promised by the Liberals in the 2000 election. The bill will create barely a ripple in tackling organized crime and in fact, some criticism has been leveled that the bill, through its regime of stiffer penalties for cultivation, may actually reinforce organized crime and force out the small grow operations. By contrast, the Senate report of September 2002 recommended, "...a criminal exemption scheme. This legislation should stipulate the conditions for obtaining licenses as well as producing and selling cannabis; [and] criminal penalties for illegal trafficking and export..." In effect, the Senate report called for domestic non-punitive regulatory approach, but Justice Minister Martin Cauchon has not accepted the Senate's direction. He has made it clear he believes higher rates of enforcement will discourage use. (News release, May 27, 2003). There is no evidence to suggest that higher enforcement does actually discourage use. Nevertheless, this bill will constitute an important debate for Parliament, and will allow opportunities for amendments and review. The real question may be, though, will this bill ever see the light of day or simply go up in smoke. Forced by the courts to bring forward legislation on this and same-sex marriage, Jean Chrétien may have unwillingly found his legacy. His replacement in the wings may consider this too hot to handle, prior to the Liberal (un)leadership race and a looming federal election. Federal New Democrats will keep pressing for the bill's debate, review and amendments that better reflect the reality of where Canadians are at when it comes to personal use of marijuana. It's unfair and unrealistic to criminalize hundreds of thousands of Canadians for possession of marijuana, nor is it right to leave it to the courts to untangle the mess created by the lack of action by the Liberals. I only hope that Parliament can have a clear and open discussion about cannabis in the fall. NDP MP Libby Davies is her party's House Leader and social policy critic, was a member of the Special Parliamentary Committee on the Non-Medical Use of Drugs, and represents the riding of Vancouver East, B.C.. Source: Ottawa Hill Times (CN ON)Author: NDP MP Libby Davies Published: August 4, 2003Contact: hilltimes achilles.netWebsite: http://www.thehilltimes.ca/Related Article:Have You Ever Smoked Marijuana? http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17002.shtmlCannabisNews Articles - Canadahttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=canada Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by Virgil on August 05, 2003 at 10:12:30 PT The disingenuous stone wall Remember seeing those frames of earth as they zoom ever closer to a point on earth. One thing these articles never do is zoom out to 10 as they present a 1 or 2 setting on the substance abuse issue. People cannot see the forest because they are always put in front of one tree. That is why T&A do not get discussed much. My feeling is that refined sugar in the diet and the high school vending machines is a big a problem in substance abuse as any, but no article wants to draw the big picture and zoom in.The whole argument coming from the government is disingenuous of course. There should really be no argument at all as the discourse for the best way to deal with substance abuse should be honest and free flowing and most of all sincere. Right now it is none of that and that is why everything seems argumentative.But the thing I wanted to mention as a dead canary is ibogaine. Ibogaine is from some tree bark in Africa known to cure people of addiction with maybe two short supervised treatments. Marc Emery offers it and applied ibogaine to his sons heroin problem.Now one thing the government would do is argue the point to death. They would not dare open one treatment center with research doctors to improve on this known cure. Sure heroin addiction and cocaine addiction are real problems that need real answers. One thing is for sure disingenous arguement while running the black markets of the world by an assassination organization with robot planes with missiles is not going to cut it for long. They do not even explore a proven failure. Someone that has lost something valuable up to a child would explore the smallest of leads in finding what is precious to them.Here we have the child across the street with people shouting "Here he is" and the government does not listen because it has another stone wall to build. Now the prostitute press if it ever took on the ibogaine story would surely use the word controversial. But that is the prostitute press mixing things in with reason. The treatment is unexplored by the US because of another stonewall. To say that the budget has money for treatment to divert people from prison while not having one research center is just part of the treason we have because of the governments War of Insanity.If the discussion were open there would be a substance abuse prevention channel. We would have before and after testimony of the use of ibogaine in delivering people from addictive curses. We have no such channel out of thousands. It all is disingenuous of course, but it is more than that. It is treason. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Virgil on August 05, 2003 at 08:50:22 PT $245 million for what More distortions, misrepresentations, and outright lies. If they would just let go of the criminal justice model and take an informational approach, it would cost very little. All it would take is one honest website with a message that was honest instead of mixed messages.The whole atmosphere is wrong. The criminal justice model and its supporters are sucking all the oxygen out of the air. In this country they do not even want doctors talking about cannabis and abortion too for that matter or anyone else for that matter. The Senate report called for freedom rather than control. Just get real. Stop the fear mongering. No high schooler is going to say, I want to get a good job so I can afford heroin. If the PTB would let go there would be real television programs talking about real health and addiction concerns. The problem is not drugs/illegal drugs. The problem is bullshit. Suck the oxygen out and pump in bullshit. A proven failure that just gets us all more bullshit.In this country there are 10 million alcohol addicts. These alcoholics are invisible to drug policy. Get real. Bullshit cannot hide these people and those sliding into alcoholism as the current ones die off.Now some people do not like to say all cannabis is use is medicinal. People believe what they want. But if cannabis helps with auto-immune problems or preventing cancer, they get that even if their purpose is recreational. But that looks at the situation too microscopically. If cannabis were freed it would be the superior alternative to alcohol and on the societal level we would have less alcoholics. It is medicine for society and a blanket solution. Freedom should be the issue and it should be clear when cannabis kills no one and police and prison and turf wars do while robbing people with black market prices and wanton corruption everywhere.We are drowning in bullshit and ignoring the biggest villians in the harmful substances category- T&A. Get real or at least shut up so that reason might prevail sooner rather than later.NarcoNews last article says the US government does not care about the drug trade, they just want their hand to be in the pot- http://www.narconews.com/Issue31/article826.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment