Pubdate: Tue, 22 Jul 2014
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Robert Sharpe

U.S. RELATIONS NO EXCUSE FOR MARIJUANA LAWS

Re: Lots of buzz over first pot licences, July 8 (and related stories)

Now that neighbouring Washington state and Colorado have legalized 
marijuana, Ottawa can no longer claim Canada must maintain marijuana 
prohibition to maintain good U.S. relations. The Canadian Senate in 
2002 offered a common-sense alternative to marijuana prohibition when 
the special committee on illegal drugs concluded marijuana is 
relatively benign, prohibition contributes to organized crime, and 
law enforcement efforts have little impact on patterns of use.

Consider the experience of the former land of the free and current 
world leader in per capita incarceration. The U.S. has almost double 
the rate of marijuana use as the Netherlands, where marijuana has 
been legally available for decades. The only winners in the war on 
marijuana are drug cartels and shameless tough-on-drugs politicians 
who deliberately confuse the drug war's tremendous collateral damage 
with a comparatively harmless plant.

ROBERT SHARPE

Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom