Pubdate: Thu, 06 Apr 2006
Source: Eye Magazine (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 Eye Communications Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.eye.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/147
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

UP IN SMOKE

Why is Harper harshing our national buzz?

Remember when Canada was cool? Back, lo those many months ago in 
September 2003 when, reacting to hep-cat legislation that proposed 
legalizing same-sex marriage and decriminalizing possession of 
marijuana, The Economist wrote in a cover story that "Canada is now 
rather cool." The rest of the world slowly took notice, first when 
our athletes at the 2004 summer Olympics were outfitted in The Beret 
of The Games, compliments of Roots; even more so as indie bands from 
Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver caught the attention of Spin, The New 
York Times and the producers of The OC. But over the course of the 
last week, we've pretty much managed to trash that carefully 
cultivated image as the trend-setter nation.

Exhibit A: Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Mexico on March 29. A 
photo-op alongside US President George W. Bush is about as big a 
stage as Harper ever gets, internationally, but while Bush and 
Mexican President Vicente Fox were outfitted in matching white 
linens, looking cool in Mexico's heat as they strolled among the 
pyramids, Harper was wearing a khaki fishing vest with a whole lot of 
pockets and a blue shirt that clashed with his brown pants. They say 
you should dress for the job you want rather than the one you have: 
apparently Harper wants a supporting role on The Red Green Show.

Our extreme dweeb makeover continued apace on Sunday, at the Juno 
Awards in Halifax. In a year when our hot indie bands have become, to 
some extent, North America's hot indie bands, who would take home the 
biggest armload of prizes? Broken Social Scene? The Arcade Fire? 
Feist? The New Pornographers? No siree. The Junos celebrated the 
reheated schlock of Michael Buble (he was that annoying misfit kid 
who always sang Sinatra songs in a suit too big for him at your 
high-school talent show).

Finally, and most damningly, we enter into evidence a story from the 
front page of the Toronto Star on Monday headlined "Police crack down 
on marijuana users."

Apparently, the election of the Conservative government has 
semi-permanently shelved plans to decriminalize possession of small 
amounts of marijuana. As a result, cops across the land who'd been 
taking a look-away approach to pot possession in anticipation of the 
new law are back out there throwing the book at tokers, including, 
the Star points out, Brian Fitzpatrick, a man who's been using 
marijuana to treat epilepsy symptoms for years and now faces charges.

This does worse than just cementing our lock on national nerdiness. 
The criminalization of pot is bad policy: it's unjust, expensive and 
doesn't accomplish what it sets out to do.

Need we go over all of this again? Marijuana is a mostly harmless 
drug, especially as compared with other legal substances such as 
alcohol and tobacco. As a recreational relaxant, its main effect is 
to mellow out smokers, making them peaceful, docile and a bit lazy. 
As a medical supplement, its painkilling effects are well-recognized, 
even by the Supreme Court of Canada.

What's more, use of marijuana is astoundingly common. Just over one 
in seven Canadians report using marijuana currently, and nearly half 
have used it at one time or another. Among the high-profile people 
across the continent who have admitted to committing the crime of 
marijuana possession are Belinda Stronach, Paul Martin, Kim Campbell, 
Stockwell Day, Pierre Trudeau, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And yet many pot smokers are locked up for their smoking: 600,000 
Canadians have criminal records for simple possession of marijuana. 
An estimated 1,500 people a year serve time behind bars for 
possession. And prosecuting them costs about $150 million per year.

The decriminalization efforts of the former Liberal government were 
overdue and sensible. If we had any sense as a nation, they would 
have been a first step to the outright legalization of pot. Harper's 
position against this sensible policy is more than just nerdy. It's a 
menace to many good citizens. What the hell has he been smoking?
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman