Pubdate: Fri, 03 Feb 2012
Source: Delta Optimist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc
Contact:  http://www.delta-optimist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1265
Author: Ian Robertson

FEDERAL POLITICIANS MUST LOOK AT BIG PICTURE ON NEW LAWS

Our MP, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, recently spoke to the Delta Chamber of 
Commerce about pending federal legislation. While she spoke about a 
number of matters, I want to focus on one subject - the crime and 
punishment bills coming before parliament.

In her letter to the Optimist last month, she referred to statements 
made by the Surrey fire chief about the number of fires in homes with 
marijuana grow-ops. They are 24 times more likely to catch fire than 
a home without one.

Thanks to research this fire chief has done, he says 85 per cent of 
marijuana in B.C. is connected with organized crime. Interesting data 
for a fire chief to be gathering. What do you suppose would be the 
statistic if we legalized and regulated marijuana?

Grow-ops would move out of houses. What would organized crime then do 
to get all their cash? Do something else or go out of business! Might 
that be wiser than spending billions trying to catch and lock them up?

How widespread is the problem? Well, according to what I read, over 
one-quarter of young adults in B.C. regularly use pot - not just 
once, but regularly. Before we group marijuana users in with cocaine, 
etc., let's understand there are 10 times as many marijuana users as 
there are cocaine users.

Let's also separate the effects of these different drugs, just as we 
have done by separating alcohol and tobacco in the past. Even with 
all that we have done, alcohol kills 10 times as many as all illicit 
drugs, and tobacco kills 25 times as many as all illicit drugs. Do I 
hear any plan to lock up tobacco smokers or alcohol consumers?

Meanwhile, the federal government is going to get tough on drug 
dealers. In the instance of marijuana, if it were legislated and 
controlled, probably much of the trafficking would go away.

As for the rest, many of those who use hard drugs are addicted to 
them. Representing a small population, they can do a lot of damage. 
The chief of the Vancouver Police Department has said: "Crime rates 
in Vancouver are driven by repeat offenders who are likely addicted 
to crack cocaine or crystal meth and steal to get their fix."

The chair of the Vancouver police board says: "Repeat offenders will 
not change without measures to deal with their addiction." What does 
our MP say to that?

What does the chair of Delta police board (and mayor) say to that?

I have previously commented that up to one-third of the current 
prison inmate population suffers some form of mental disorder or disease.

Another large portion of inmates have a history of broken and 
dysfunctional upbringing. A disproportionate inmate population is 
from First Nations where, as we have seen recently, housing and 
education are well below acceptable standards.

What proportion of all this new federal effort is being directed to 
reducing these basic problems?

It's time to get our politicians to focus on the real causes and not 
just at "Band-Aiding" the situation.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom