Pubdate: Tue, 01 May 2012
Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Black Press
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/5n7vJzqp
Website: http://drugsense.org/url/zLXtMKI5
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361
Author: Auren Ruvinsky, with files from Steven Heywood

DRUG WAR ISN'T WORKING - BURGER

Parksville mayor joins colleagues from around the province

"The war on drugs isn't effective," said Parksville mayor Chris Burger
in light of Vancouver Island municipal politician's support for
decriminalizing marijuana.

"We had quite a debate and a fair majority voted to decriminalize it,"
he reported after the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities (AVICC) conference April 13 to 15 in Uclulet.

The resolution, proposed by Metchosin, states that "whereas marijuana
prohibition is a failed policy which has cost millions of dollars in
police, court, jail and social costs," and decriminalization would
provide tax revenue, the AVICC will "lobby the appropriate government
to decriminalize marijuana and research the regulation and taxation of
marijuana."

Burger said it was the taxation issue that really caught the attention
of cash strapped municipalities who would rather regulate and make
money off it than spend money policing it.

The resolution was supported by 75 per cent of the 240 municipal
delegates in attendance from across the Island and Sunshine Coast.

Qualicum Beach mayor Teunis Westbroek wasn't one of
them.

When asked his position on the AVICC resolution, he told The News
legalizing marijuana should not be done just for the tax benefits.

"I want to see a reduction in (drug use) by all ages," he explained.
"Some people need to find different coping methods than turning to
marijuana or other drugs to escape reality."

The local politicians who did support the resolution, join a growing
list calling for decriminalization including surprising figures like
four former B.C. attorneys general, several Vancouver mayors, John
McKay, the U.S. federal prosecutor who arrested Vancouver pot activist
Marc Emery and many in academics, health care and law
enforcement.

The AVICC resolution will be discussed on a provincial platform at the
Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in September.
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MAP posted-by: Matt