Pubdate: Wed, 13 May 2015 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2015 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Mike Howell HEALTH OFFICER BACKS LEGALIZED DRUGS In her own words, Dr. Patricia Daly is a "prevention physician." What does that mean? "My main goal is to prevent the harm associated with any psychoactive substance," says the chief medical health officer for Vancouver Coastal Health. By psychoactive substance, she means drugs. Heroin, cocaine, marijuana, for example. So how do you prevent harm? Some readers might be shocked by Daly's answer. She is, after all, a doctor and very much in the business of wanting to keep people alive. "Most public health physicians believe that the best way to decrease the harms associated with any psychoactive substance - whether it's illegal drugs like heroin, cocaine, marijuana or alcohol, tobacco, or even prescription drugs - is they should all be legal but very strictly regulated." So there you have it - the head of the health authority is calling for the legalization of drugs. Wow! Are you reading this, federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose? Actually, it's not really news if you bother to do some research, which I did. Back in 2011, the Health Officers Council of B.C. released a report titled Perspectives for Regulating Psychoactive Substances. Here's a fact from that report: Harms associated with psychoactive substances such as alcohol, tobacco, prescription and illegal drugs account for substantial and - for some substances - increasing adverse health and social impacts on individuals, families, communities and society at large. You may have heard that before. So what's the health officers' solution? Regulate drugs, with heavy monitoring. "Benefits anticipated from public health oriented regulation are much reduced health and social harms associated with all substances; more efficient and effective use of taxpayers' funds for government services, including elimination of programs that are ineffective and or harmful; reduced public disorder; and improved public safety." I refer to this report because it's kind of timely given the debate about the City of Vancouver's unprecedented move to call for more than 80 pot shops to be regulated. The fine point on that proposal is regulationof the shops, not the weed, although the city also wants marijuana goods such as muffins and cookies banned from the dispensaries. Anyway, Daly has been a key person in supporting the city's move to regulate, which translates to $30,000 annual licence fees for shop owners and criminal record checks. She understands from published evidence that there are benefits to marijuana. She understands, too, the courts have recognized the evidence and allowed the cultivation and use of marijuana for medical use. But she also knows weed is harmful to the developing brain of young people. But, as she said, "I think you can reconcile both of these things." The reality is though, that no matter how strong her voice is on the legalize-and-regulate front, it's the federal government that ultimately has to get on side to make any real change. The report backs that up. "Federal regulation and other actions should be designed to support rather than inhibit local and provincial actions, and should be tailored specifically to deal with issues of national or international interest, including regulation of international trade from a public health perspective." Sounds like the feds have a way to go on this. Here's Ambrose in her April 23 letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson on her concerns around the city's move to regulate the pot shops: "Legitimizing and normalizing the use and sale of marijuana can have only one effect: increasing marijuana use and addiction." And in her April 28 letter: "Marijuana is illegal for a reason: there are serious and lasting health effects associated with smoking marijuana, especially for youth." No matter what your view on this issue, the health officers' report quite rightly concludes "public discussions will be essential to move beyond rhetoric to evidence-informed decisions and to overcome vested interests and barriers to change. Such barriers should not be underestimated and will be present from those interested in protecting personal, commercial, illegal market, ideological and other interests." I'll keep that quote in mind during the public hearing regarding the regulation of pot shops. No date has been set to kick off the discussion, although the city website has May 26 and 28 set aside for hearings. I'll let you know when I know. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt