ISSUES CREDIBLE, BUT NOT THE PARTY

The B.C. Marijuana Party - a one-issue provincial election joke, or
legitimate political competitor?

If you had any hesitation in answering that question prior to recent
information revealed by The Leader, you probably don't have much doubt
remaining now.

What can you say about a party that fronts a candidate who is awaiting
sentencing on several criminal charges, including a weapons offence?

Surrey-Tynehead challenger Don Briere is also being investigated by
Revenue Canada, for $1.3 million in back taxes.

In this issue of The Leader, we reveal Briere has pleaded guilty, and
will be sentenced May 23, on charges of marijuana cultivation,
possession for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of a
prohibited weapon, namely an MAK-90 assault rifle.

Believe what you like about marijuana possession and use, but
possession of a prohibited weapon is a serious offence, and one that
casts an extremely negative light upon the individual, particularly if
that person is asking for the public's trust.

It's unfortunate the Marijuana Party chose some of the candidates they
did, because it is too easy to write these people off as a bunch of
addled pot-heads, when in fact, their main platform raises awareness
of serious issues in this society which have yet to be addressed in a
meaningful, constructive manner.

Existing drug laws and policies in Canada - and B.C. by extension -
are hugely expensive, and largely ineffective.

Billions of dollars have been poured into drug enforcement efforts
over the past few decades, only to see demand - and supply - increase
beyond authorities' wildest imaginations.

Drug addiction is still largely being treated as a crime as opposed to
a health issue. Imprisonment is still the heavily favoured response,
rather than harm reduction initiatives.

And in so doing, the myriad social problems associated with illegal
drug use - such as enforcement costs, reallocation of police and
justice system resources, related crimes against persons and property,
massive health care costs and so forth - continue unabated.

The Marijuana Party suggests progressive approaches to these social
dilemmas.

It's too bad they've positioned themselves in such a way that makes
their calls for attention so ignorable for the vast majority of voters.

None of the other mainstream parties in the upcoming election have
articulated any intelligent policy on contemporary drug problems, and
that's a travesty.