IS IT TIME FOR SOCIETY TO RETHINK ITS DRUG LAWS

Amid the uproar over guns, gangs, and government intervention there
persists a question that is constantly swept aside in the law
enforcement stomp to rid the world of guns and gangs through
government intervention.

Should marijuana be legalized or at least decriminalized?

Marijuana became illegal in Canada in 1923 and in the U.S. in 1937. In
1973 Oregon became the first state to decriminalize non-medical
marijuana possession and by 1978 Alaska, California, Colorado,
Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina and Ohio had some form
of decriminalization in place at the city, county or state level.
Marijuana remains illegal under U.S. federal law. In 2001 Canada
allowed some people to smoke it for medicinal purposes.

Those supporting decriminalization argue that the drug, used in
moderation, is no worse than tobacco or alcohol, it offers
well-documented medical benefits by reducing pain, decriminalization
and regulation would lower the price and ensure quality control of the
product, it could reduce crime, there would be tax revenues for
government, law enforcement agencies would be freed up for more
serious crimes, young people would be not be trapped in a life of
crime and drug dealers would lose a lot of their business.
Decriminalization puts drug control in the hands of government not
gangs.

People against it argue that marijuana is a gateway to harder drugs,
its use is morally wrong, it would be easier for drugs to fall into
the hands of children, drug-related arrests take criminals off the
street, more widespread use would increase non-users to exposure to
second-hand smoke and the U.S. would allegedly slam the border closed,
harming all trade. With respect to the 'gateway' argument, according
to the World Health Organization, the reverse is true. Studies show
regulating marijuana reduces hard drug use.

According to Statistics Canada's 2002 Community Health Survey, over 10
million Canadians reported having tried marijuana at least once in
their lifetime, the drug's use was on the rise (from 6.5 per cent
Canadians using it in 1989 to 12.2 per cent by 2002). They represented
41.3 per cent of the population aged 15 and over and the proportion of
people who had used the drug was above the national average in Nova
Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia.

Those who support legalizing marijuana aren't just recreational users.
Current and former members of the law enforcement and justice
communities have spoken out on the failure of current drug laws. The
same year StatsCan's health report came out, Law Enforcement Against
Prohibition (LEAP) was formed by a group of concerned police and
justice individuals. LEAP's aim is to reduce the harmful consequences
from the war on drugs and lessen the incidence of death, disease,
crime, and addiction by ending drug prohibition.

Their beliefs echo those of another time when prohibition against
alcohol was collapsing. In the early 1900s prohibition had been driven
by religious intolerance and came into effect in 1920. But as wealthy
industrialist John Rockefeller Jr. wrote in 1932, "When Prohibition
was introduced, I hoped the day would come when the evil effects of
alcohol would be recognized. Instead, drinking has generally
increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; an army of
lawbreakers has appeared; respect for the law has greatly lessened and
crime has increased to a level never seen before."

In 1933, responding to public pressure for repeal of the Volstead Act
that had outlawed alcohol, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an
Amendment allowing the manufacture and sale of beer and light wines.
Apparently he was pretty relieved. Putting his pen down, he commented
famously, "I think this would be a good time for a beer."

Now is a good time to rethink our own laws.

Margaret Evans is a resident of Columbia Valley near Chilliwack and
active in the agricultural community. She writes weekly for the
Chilliwack Progress on global issues that affect the community locally.