Pubdate: Thu, 23 Jun 2011 Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC) Copyright: 2011 Kamloops Daily News Contact: http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679 POT LEGALIZATION GETTING CLOSER A front-page story in The Daily News this week, headlined Little Shop of Pot, pointed to the growing openness of the debate over what to do about marijuana. What to do as in, legalize it, crack down on it, or legalize it in broader though limited circumstances. The story was about a storefront marijuana establishment operating openly in our city. Unless you are a registered medical marijuana user, you can't simply walk in and chow down on some marijuana cookies or brownies. But the day might not be that far off. Just a couple of weeks ago, the issue of legalization was hotly debated at - of all places - the annual general meeting of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is not exactly known for daring forays into groundbreaking public policy, preferring instead to deal with money matters such as business friendly regulations and taxation. (Not surprisingly, it's a big fan of the HST.) But there they were, several hundred chamber members, talking about the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. The issue was raised by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the convention attended by business reps from all over the province. Basis for the P.G. chamber's proposal to legalize is the fact that, in 2009, the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General reported that 68 per cent of all drug related offences were connected to marijuana. And there are all those spinoff crimes like breakins that are fuelled by the $6-billion pot-growing industry. The resolution was no off-the-cuff idea. It was supported by the B.C. Chamber's own policy committee, a group tasked with closely scrutinizing policy proposals to make sure they're in the best interests of chamber members. The Prince George Chamber coupled its legalization proposal with one advocating stronger enforcement of money laundering laws to combat organized crime. An attempt on the floor of the convention to sever the two was defeated, after which the whole thing went down in flames. Our sister newspaper, the Prince George Citizen, quoted Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce chair Richard Rainey as saying that supporting marijuana legalization would be a public relations disaster. "For us to use those words in this forum... if we were to pass this, that would be the headline tomorrow." Abbotsford Chamber vice president Mike Welte told the convention, "Let's not kid ourselves, Stephen Harper's government is not going to consider this." Marijuana was once identified by the respected U.S. business magazine Forbes as "Canada's most valuable agricultural product," and there's no doubt it's big business. Sooner or later, government will be tempted by the potential tax windfall, not to mention the savings in policing and justice costs, and business will see an opportunity for investment. The B.C. Chamber's reluctance to be associated with the issue suggests Canada isn't quite there yet. But the very fact that a staid group like the chamber even had such a debate suggests it's gradually emerging from the closet. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.