Pubdate: Tue, 13 Nov 2012
Source: Now, The (Surrey, CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact:  http://www.thenownewspaper.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462
Author: Jacob Zinn

TWO STATES' VOTE TO LEGALIZE POT SPARKS CALLS FOR DEBATE IN B.C.

Following Washington's referendum vote in favour of legalizing and 
taxing marijuana, Surrey-North MP Jasbir Sandhu said it may be time 
B.C. looks into allowing the drug in the province.

"There are a lot of issues associated when you legalize marijuana and 
I think they need to be examined," he said.

In two separate referendums held Tuesday, Nov. 6, Washington and 
Colorado residents voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use 
by anyone age 21 and up.

Sandhu cited the Le Dain Commission from the early 1970s that looked 
into the non-medical use of drugs in Canada and added that it may be 
time to follow up with such studies. He said the nation's war on 
drugs hasn't worked and that governments need to take a different 
approach to social policy issues regarding recreational marijuana use.

"If somebody is caught with a small amount of marijuana, we don't 
have to make these people criminals," he said.

Sandhu said an open discussion on marijuana legalization would also 
involve the effect it would have on RCMP.

Surrey RCMP Chief Supt. Bill Fordy said via email, "As you know, drug 
trafficking is a global enterprise and only time will tell the impact 
that changes in the United States would have for the RCMP."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom