Pubdate: Wed, 11 Sep 2002
Source: Boston Weekly Dig (MA)
Copyright: 2002 Boston Weekly Dig
Contact:  http://www.weeklydig.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1515
Authors: Ria Ferich, Joe Bonni
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

POT SPOTS UPDATE

The Canadian Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs released a report on 
September 4 announcing that the current prohibition of marijuana use should 
end. "Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is 
substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a 
criminal issue but as a social and public health issue," said the 
committee's chairperson, Senator Pierre Nolin, a member of the Progressive 
Conservative Party.

The panel unanimously recommended legalizing sales and use of marijuana and 
hashish to anyone over 16, and allowing citizens to grow the drug for their 
own use. Also recommended was that the government regulate sales and 
production just like cigarettes and beer, that the product be taxed and 
some of the proceeds pay for research on health affects.

The Canadian government will make a decision to revise Canada's drug laws 
next year.

To those who have been following Canada's approach to marijuana policy, 
this may not come as too big a surprise. Canada has been consistently more 
progressive regarding its approach to dealing with both medical marijuana 
and industrial hemp, and for the last few years and despite constant 
criticism from the US, has managed to take slow but deliberate steps 
towards decriminalizing pot for adults.

Perhaps the US should stop criticizing and take a look in the mirror. The 
recently released 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported 
that 15.9 million Americans age 12 and older used an illegal drug in the 
month before the survey interview. This is 7.1 percent of the population in 
2001, compared to an estimated 6.3 percent the year before. Think about it 
- - current law makes approximately one of every dozen US citizens a federal 
criminal.

When you go to the polls this November, remember, the people who think the 
War on Drugs is working are the same people running the War on Terrorism.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl