WEED BAN GOING TO POT

Over the past number of days, Canadians and the national media have started
to take a sober second look at Canada's policy towards illegal drugs --
particularly marijuana.

It was our belief that the legalization of marijuana is a long overdue
measure that the government of Canada must act upon. The recent tragic
events in Mayerthorpe have only reinforced our opinion.

We are fully aware there was a lot more to the Mayerthorpe murders than a
marijuana grow op. However, the incident has propelled the debate over
Canadian drug laws to the kitchen tables, coffee shops and front pages.

While we support stricter penalties for those who run grow ops in the
short-term, the only way to eliminate illegal grow ops in the long-term is
to legalize marijuana. When alcohol prohibition was lifted, the rumrunners
and bootleggers lost a market.

The same thing will happen to today's drug dealers and grow operators once
marijuana is legalized. Our national Young Liberal president, Richard
Diamond, drew this connection when he observed, "We need serious
regulations on marijuana so that this kind of violence and this kind of
black market will cease. By lifting marijuana prohibition, the government
has a chance to deliver a body blow to organized crime in Canada."

Those who oppose the legalization of marijuana call it a gateway drug,
claiming that pot smokers move on to more dangerous drugs. But let's look
at why this might be true.

When people, especially young people, buy marijuana from a dealer, it isn't
long before they get gently nudged on to harder stuff. If the government is
handling the distribution of marijuana, it's a fairly safe bet they're not
going to be running "buy 20 joints, get a gram of cocaine free!" promotions.

By ending marijuana prohibition, we would be closing this gate and we would
see a reduction in hard drug use.

In 2002, a Senate committee concluded that legalized marijuana would lead
to a reduction in use, because the government could regulate supply, price
and sales. A lot has been accomplished in the last decade to cut smoking
rates among minors.

By employing a similar strategy with marijuana, we would gradually see a
decline in the rate of underage pot use.

There are also financial benefits to be had. The marijuana industry is, at
the very least, a $7-billion-to $10-billion-a-year business in Canada. The
Fraser Institute estimates legalizing marijuana would generate at least $2
billion a year in tax revenue for the government.

The government should take a second look at this lucrative source of
revenue -- as grassroots Liberal party members have. In addition to
supporting priorities such as health care, education and tax reduction,
these revenues could be used for drug awareness and other law enforcement
priorities.

There is nothing radical about this proposal.

Senate and House of Commons committees have advocated for a loosening of
marijuana laws. Canada has already legalized compassionate use. A recent
SES poll found 53 per cent of Canadians support marijuana legalization
while only 37 per cent oppose it.

Canada's decriminalization effort is a step in the right direction, but the
industry will still be in the hands of organized crime rather than the more
capable hands of regulators and legitimate business.

Recently, Treasury Board President Reg Alcock came out in support of
legalized marijuana, adding: "If we actually wanted to break the back of
organized crime, we would be better off to control it. When you have these
things underground, what you end up fueling is organized crime."

The war on drugs isn't working. Police officers in cities across Canada are
being put in harm's way each day to stamp out weed. They admit they will
never be able to keep up and the risks to their health and safety are
increasing.

Our choices are clear. We can continue to pour more money into this losing
battle or adopt a new made-in-Canada strategy that reduces the harm
associated with current drug use and production.

Ending marijuana prohibition was the right thing to do a decade ago, it was
the right thing to do a month ago, and, more than ever, it remains the
right thing to do today.