BOYCOTT WEED, STOP GANG VIOLENCE

The market solution will put economic pressure on the gangsters
running the marijuana trade

Another shooting in Greater Vancouver. Nearly everyone is demanding
action by the government and police. News conferences are called to
reassure the public. Sociologists and criminologists are trotted out
to apportion blame for these shocking violent crimes.

You want to see who's responsible? Perhaps you should look in a
mirror.

I don't smoke pot any more. I quit more than 25 years ago when my wife
was pregnant with my eldest son. The "do as I say, not as I do" form
of parenting seemed hypocritical to me, so I quit dope.

But I know many "middle class" people my age that still enjoy smoking
up. Some of them even turn to illicit chemicals to brighten up their
lives. In doing so they're supporting the very people who are shooting
up our streets.

In corporate terms, the shootings are hostile takeovers in a
multibillion-dollar industry. It's a business that has grown with the
support, or at least tacit acceptance of many British Columbians.
Businesses exist to serve a demand. Success is based on market share,
effective distribution and a positive branding.

Police estimate British Columbia has thousands of indoor marijuana
growing operations. Much of the product is exported, but the Centre of
Addictions Research of B.C. reports about 680,000 British Columbians
use marijuana at last once every year. And about 12,000 use other
illicit drugs. It's a growth market and those consumers have a lot of
influence.

Do you want to stop the killing and put pressure on the gangsters?
Forget about another police task force. Let's try the marketplace
solution any businessman will understand -- direct action by
consumers. Let's boycott marijuana.

After the French refused to join the Iraq war, many Americans
boycotted French wine. According to a study published by Stanford
University, French wine sales in the United States declined 13 per
cent during the first six months of the war. It cost the French wine
industry $112 million in just six months.

The boycott didn't change the French position on the war, but it put
significant pressure upon an identifiable group within the French
economy. Why don't we grab B.C. crime bosses by the wallets and
squeeze hard until they eliminate their dangerous behaviour?

Steppenwolf sang that the dealer, for a nickel he will sell you lots
of sweet dreams. I say it's time to damn the dealer and the pusher
alike. One of my friends, who is now an upper middle-class
professional, periodically sold a few pounds of grass to finance his
education. It was illegal then, too, but the amount was small and the
stakes were low. If my friend were selling weed today I'd turn him in
- -- or at least insist he join the boycott. He'd argue that small-time
users and dealers can't be tied to the gang wars on city streets.

But police say they can. Small distributors are essentially
franchisees that could influence the corporate culture at head office
by selling less product.

The last part of my marketplace war on drugs may be the hardest to
achieve. Destroying the gangster brand won't be easy. How do you
convince a young thug that driving an Escalade, making lots of money
and living the life of a rap song is the wrong way to go? The entire
lifestyle is glamorized by pop culture. But events can change a brand
image, drive consumers away from a product, and lead to the
condemnation of industry leaders.

At one time Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch were on the Business Week
list of the world's top 50 corporate brands.

The question now becomes; what will it take to destroy the gangster
brand and modify consumer behavior? One uninvolved person caught in
the crossfire? Five? Ten?

When you look in that mirror, ask yourself, "What have I done to hurt
these killers economically?" It may require a personal boycott of your
weekly pick-me-up. In the short term, let's send a clear message by
reducing demand. When the shooting stops, we should begin talking
about long-term solutions like legalization or significantly
increasing the deterrents.

Either way the solution to gangland crime lies with
consumers.

Ed Watson is a veteran British Columbia journalist who runs a video
production and media training company.