Vancouver calls for legalized laughing grass

[firefox]

People may not believe this, but legalizing cannabis is the biggest thing that can be done to lessen the harms of substance abuse. The criminal justice model needs to yield to a health care model with harm reduction principles. The biggest step that can be made to to reduce the harms of present policy is to legalize cannabis. That is what the mayor of Vancouver is saying when he calls for legalizing laughing grass.

The drug warriors do not really want to talk about substance abuse because it brings in the subject of refined sugar in the diet, which is really a big deal in such an obese country. It also brings in alcohol had individual and social harms worthy of a Constitutional amendment and if cannabis did nothing but provide a superior alternative to alcohol, it should be legal, even ignoring the principles of freedom that should have seen that it was never illegal in the first place. And with cannabis, the greatest harm comes from the prohibition laws that see 2000 Americans arrested every day.

From the Vancouver Sun- http://tinyurl.com/8alaj

June 8, 2005


A City of Vancouver report backed by the mayor recommends Canada legalize and regulate marijuana as part of a comprehensive drug-abuse prevention strategy for everything from methamphetamine production to alcoholism among seniors.

The marijuana recommendation, one of two dozen in the report being released today, would allow people trying to prevent drug abuse to talk to teenagers about it realistically, the way they do with alcohol and cigarettes, and also limit dangerous use.

It's a strategy that Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell endorses wholeheartedly, saying it's preferable to decriminalization, which imposes a fine instead of a criminal charge for use, but doesn't address the issue of supply.

"I think the decriminalization doesn't do anybody any good. It sends the message that it's okay, but that it's a crime to obtain it." He says if marijuana were legalized, the community could benefit by being able to tax production.

[sweetheart]

1. Good news

Vancouver always did have a healthy does of common sense. Its about
time we came to be able to know exactly what is in that green stuff
instead of trusting our nose to what is aways a strong sweet smell.

I'm glad they're legallizing it. Its the smartest thing that Paul
Martin's ever done! ;-)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. God, it's nice to see a place where people actually use thier brains!

:kick: