CANADA'S HAPPILY GONE TO POT

When the words "UN ranking" and "Canada" appear in the same sentence,
there's usually a reason to rejoice. With Canadians used to high
grades in everything from governance to standard of living, it's nice
to revel in the good news from time to time.

What then, should we make of the recent United Nations' 2007 World Drug Report?

A number of Canadians will no doubt be very proud that our country
ranks first among industrialized nations in marijuana use. We all
cheered for Ross Rebagliati in Nagano, and in this case, the margin
of victory is much wider.

According to the UN data, 16.8 per cent of Canadians aged 15 to 64
use marijuana. Only four countries rank higher: Ghana (21.5), Zambia
(17.7), Papua New Guinea (29.5) and Micronesia (29.1).

In our own societal weight class -- the western world -- England
comes in at 8.7 per cent, Norway at 4.6 per cent and the U.S., even
with draconian anti-drug laws in many states, is ranked second with
12.6 per cent.

In the country with the laxest laws, the Netherlands, only 6.1 per
cent of the adult population indulges in cannabis despite its legal
status. That's not too high above the global average of 3.8 per cent,
but no one has ever accused the Dutch of being fun.

First, cheers to Papua New Guinea. Beenie Man would be proud.

Second, Jamaica comes in at 10.7 per cent and I suspect a lot of
Jamaicans are lying.

Third, to my friends who act as the unofficial Nelson, B.C. Chamber
of Commerce, you're right. I don't know why I ever doubted you in the
first place.

And last, to the fire-and-brimstone types who see marijuana as a
gateway drug, please relax.

Canadian statistics for the use of other drugs including opiates,
amphetamines and ecstasy fall squarely in the middle of the pack
among the industrialized nations, although cocaine use is a little
higher than the mean. However, in every case except for ecstasy where
the two countries are roughly equal, Canada has lesser rates of use
than the United States.

So why is Canada so far ahead of the curve in marijuana use?

Aside from the good word spread by the people of Nelson and the fact
that Canadians like to buy local, one suspects that few see marijuana
as a dangerous drug.

According to a frequently cited 2002 Statistics Canada poll, 41.3 of
Canadians 15 or older have at least tried marijuana. That's more than
10 million people (every one of them can now vote) who have
experienced the munchies for themselves, and are less prone to
believe the stern warnings that usually accompany illegal activities
in the Great White North.

Canada's status as a major marijuana producer means that marijuana is
plentiful, and societal attitudes have softened to the extent that
Jean Chretien's Liberals introduced legislation to decriminalize
small amounts (read: personal use amounts) of marijuana in 2003.

Although the bill died under Conservative rule in 2006, much to the
chagrin of many uninformed Canadians who think it passed and who
continually risk arrest by smoking on the streets, another poll,
taken this June, says that 55 per cent of Canadians want marijuana
legalized outright.

Aside from Stephen Harper and his no-fun party, there seems to be a
level of consensus in Canada on the issue. Maybe outright
legalization is not the way to go, but decriminalization enjoys broad
support, and considering the costs of prosecuting minor drug offences
(and the fact that almost half of the Canadian population is
potentially guilty), keeping the laws as they are makes little sense.

Far from being a warning sign, the UN report shows us that it's
possible to have a country that ranks high on just about every
societal indicator and where marijuana is used widely among the
population. The munchies didn't stop Rebagliati from winning the
gold, and maybe his experience is shared on a societal level.

Is Canada a nation of stoners? We may be on our way there, but we
seem to be OK with it.

The 2007 World Drug Report met with no indignation in the Canadian
press, and even less in the Canadian public.

Nice and relaxed, Canada.

Go figure.

Kris Kotarski is a Calgary writer and regular contributor to these pages.