Tax marijuana, says B.C. mayors' coalition (British Columbia, Canada)

[alp227]

Source: CBC

Mayors from eight B.C. communities have added their voices to calls to the provincial government to regulate and tax marijuana as part of a strategy to end gang violence and make communities safer.

Mayors from Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver City, Vernon, Armstrong, Enderby, Lake Country and Metchosin made the argument in an April 26 letter to B.C.'s premier, Opposition NDP leader and B.C. Conservative Party leader.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was unavailable for comment Thursday, but Coun. Kerry Jang, who is also professor of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, said the current federal laws have failed.

Jang said the laws have led to increased organized crime, policing costs and the presence of grow-ops.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/04/26/bc-mayors-marijuana-decriminilization.html

[tridim]

1. C'mon tipping-point!

The only people negative on pot these days, are people who are paid to oppose it.

It's time.

[gejohnston]

7. I can see the growers and sellers being against legalization

because they will have to start paying taxes.

[Proletariatprincess]

2. Of course the Coalition of Mayors is right...

...but, unfortunately, Harper is a Rightist and there is no chance he will let Cannabis be liberalized. Even considering the possibility will bring the wrath of the giant neighbor to the south down upon him. He is their creature, afterall. I do believe, however, that the parlimentary system in Canada is much more respsponsive to the will of the people than the US system.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Just imagine the electric shock that would run through our government if Canada did this.

What a powerful message it would send, especially if the desired results actually happened.

This gives me hope!

[RainDog]

4. k&r n/t

[azurnoir]

5. say don't we here in the US have deficit problem?

wonder how much revenue this could reap

[Left Coast2020]

6. I think I remember in the late 60's/early 70's when we were......

....saying that in the future this stuff would be legalized. Well, here we are.

[LiberalLovinLug]

8. The big Pharmaceutical companies will never allow it

And they are much bigger, more powerful than they were in the '70's.
It has nothing to do with how harmful this plant is, its more about the fact that if pot is legal, a plant that can be grown like a weed, they'd lose all future plans for developing their synthetic alternatives in capsule form.

[randome]

9. I've heard that for years, now. Decades, even.

When do you think they'll get around to seeing those 'future plans' take hold?

[Comrade Grumpy]

13. I don't think Big Pharma is the big problem.

The only evidence I've seen is that the pharmaceutical companies sometimes donate to anti-drug ad campaigns.

If you want to talk vested interests, it's law enforcement. If pot goes legal, half their drug war goes away (pot accounts for about half of all drug arrests). That includes cops, prosecutors, judges, the prison complex, the forced treatment complex...

Then there's the drug testing industry and the voluntary treatment complex...

Then there are well-meaning public health-oriented folks who just can't agree with legalizing any more intoxicating substances.

And then there are people who think drug use is morally wrong (although they can be inconsistent).

And then there are moms. That's the killer demographic where legalization fares poor. We gott get the moms on our side. They're worried about their kids.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, alp.

[oilpro2]

11. Canadians are so rational and reasonable.

I wish we had political people in the USA like many in Canada.

[sarcasmo]

12. Kick!