Pubdate: Fri, 13 Jan 2012
Source: Coast Reporter (CN BC)
Section: Health Matters
Copyright: 2012 Coast Reporter
Contact:  http://www.coastreporter.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/580
Author: Paul Martiquet
Note: Dr. Paul Martiquet is the Medical Health Officer for Rural 
Vancouver Coastal Health including Powell River, the Sunshine Coast, 
Sea-to-Sky, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
Cited: Stop the Violence BC: http://stoptheviolencebc.org/

ALTERNATIVES FOR CANNABIS POLICY

How not to protect community health and safety" is the title of a 
report from the Stop The Violence BC (STVBC) coalition. It tells of 
how cannabis policy with its focus on prohibition and extensive 
efforts on enforcement have both failed. Quite spectacularly, too. 
Cannabis is more available, cheaper and more potent than ever even 
after billions of tax dollars have been spent on prohibition. Worse, 
organized crime is rolling in cash because of the same policies.

It is time to think more clearly about cannabis policy. This is why 
the Health Officers' Council of BC (HOC) has stepped up with its 
support for STVBC. The HOC is not saying that cannabis should be 
legalized and taxed because is it safe. Rather, they are saying that 
proven public health approaches should be used to constrain its use.

The STVBC report makes several clear policy recommendations.

There need to be restrictions on the purchase and use of cannabis. 
These could include age restrictions on sales and could impose 
restrictions on driving and operating machinery while intoxicated, 
limits on the hours of sale and outlet density, restricted bulk sales 
and limits on the potency of legal cannabis. All of these ideas 
support the public health model to reduce the unintended health and 
social harms such as drug-related violence and homicide that 
accompany prohibition.

Government should control the production and distribution of 
cannabis. Existing conditional licensing of medical cannabis could be 
expanded and applied on a larger scale to the regulation and taxation 
of cannabis. The system would include strict prohibitions on 
marketing and branding, standard labelling on content and health 
realistic health warnings like those for tobacco currently.

Taxation is another tool in the arsenal of a new cannabis policy. 
Taxing a product increases its price to the consumer and has been 
shown to affect consumption levels of alcohol and tobacco. The price 
of cannabis could also be kept as high as possible to limit use, but 
low enough to avoid creating an incentive to produce cannabis for an 
illegal market.

Other regulatory tools to consider include policies that restrict the 
location and circumstances of consumption, not unlike current 
policies on alcohol and tobacco. The "Dutch coffee shop" model for 
cannabis should be considered as well.

Prohibition has never worked. We need only look at current cannabis 
policy to see that. Not enough, look back at the efforts of the 1920s 
and 30s, and look at the results. There is a better way. We must consider it.

Learn more about the STVBC report (and download it) from their 
website at www.stoptheviolencebc.org. Or join the discussion on 
Facebook or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stvbc.

Editor's note: Dr. Paul Martiquet is the Medical Health Officer for 
Rural Vancouver Coastal Health including Powell River, the Sunshine 
Coast, Sea-to-Sky, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D