MPS SHOULD VOTE AGAINST THE "RADICAL" BILL C-15

Bill C-15 is a dangerous and radical change in Canadian drug policy
that will further enrich gangsters, create more violence on our
streets and assuredly fail to reduce either the demand for, or the
availability of, drugs in our society.

This statement may seem bold. But it is backed by the preponderance
of available science.

Comprehensive studies published by the Senate of Canada, the Canadian
Department of Justice, the European Commission, the US Congressional
Research Service, the Fraser Institute, Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives and the Rand Corporation all support the view that
mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offences are useless at best.
At worst, these policies will increase the dangers associated with the
drug markets and, therefore, the chaos created on our streets.

The types of mandatory sentences contained in Bill C-15 have been
utter failures in the United States.

There is no evidence that harsher penalties affect drug use rates or
the supply of drugs on the streets. Nor do such sentences appear to
deter prohibition-related violence. Instead of seeing success from
its mandatory sentencing policies, the United States has become the
world's largest jailer with 1 in every 99 adults is in custody. The
United States has 5% of the worlds population and 25% of the world's
prisoners.

Many of those persons are serving time for non-violent drug
offences.

Bottom line: the United States has some of the harshest sentencing
regimes in the nontotalitarian world while also suffering from the
highest rates of drug use, the highest violent crime rates and the
richest, most powerful gangs. Instead of serving a positive purpose,
Bill C-15 will increase the power of organized crime and the violence
associated with the illegal drug markets.

Indeed, the very idea of mandatory minimum sentences relies on
assumptions that are simply false.

There is no evidence of any deterrent effect on organized criminals:
these people are already willing to risk arrest, prosecution,
incarceration and, indeed, a violent death from other criminals in
order to make the huge profits associated with high-level drug
trafficking. There is no evidence of deterrent effect on streetlevel
dealers: these people are often addicted to the substances they sell
and commit the crime out desperation driving by their addiction to
very expensive drugs. Worse, while Bill C-15 purports to target
"serious" drug offences, its terms apply to even very minor offences
such as growing a single marijuana plant. This helps no one in our
society.

Increasing the risk ( harsher sentences ) associated with a behaviour
( drug crime ) only prevents that behaviour so long as the benefit (
profit ) stays the same. In the case of drug sales, harsher
sentencing may increase the street price and therefore the profit of
dealing drugs. This phenomenon of prohibition guarantees that the
supply of individuals who will commit these crimes is virtually unlimited.

The drug wars in Mexico and Vancouver only serve to exemplify these
issues. Latin America generally, and Mexico specifically, have been
the focus of intense interdiction efforts for decades, yet cocaine is
still as available as ever. What has changed is simply that drug
lords now control vast swaths of territory. Afghanistan is another
example: despite a massive military presence, the supply and
availability of opium is at record levels, while organized criminals (
working for or with the Taliban ) control more of the country every
year.

Indeed, the evidence is that the prohibition of drugs has been a
complete and total failure. Drugs are as available today as they have
ever been. Drug use is higher in countries that have harsher sentences
and penalties, and lower in countries without such penalties. The
only real effect of increasing penalties is increasing prison
populations and levels of violence on the streets.

Our teenagers report that it is easier to access illegal substances
such as marijuana than regulated substances such as tobacco or
alcohol. Why? Because alcohol and tobacco stores ( usually ) check ID
and drug dealers never do. Teenage tobacco smoking rates have
decreased due to effective regulation and education, while at the same
time teenage marijuana smoking rates have increased because of no
regulation and misleading education.

If you vote for C-15 you are guaranteeing higher profits for gangs,
more violence on our streets, unregulated access by teenagers, and the
continued supply and availability of drugs. Bill C-15 is a step in the
wrong direction. Ironically, it comes just as the United States is
amending and repealing many of that country's mandatory sentencing
regimes.

Bill C-15 is not a solution to the problems caused by the prohibition
markets.

On the other hand, it is possible to take steps to reduce instead of
increase the influence and power of organized crime. A good first step
would be to tax and regulate marijuana. Doing so would create tax
revenues for government, cause a massive decrease in profits for
organized criminal groups, and result in savings to society and
government of billions annually. A further benefit would be the
regulation of a currently unregulated marketplace, complete with age
limits and reasonable time, place and manner restrictions.

Currently, marijuana offences comprise more than three-quarters of all
drug crimes. This drains police resources that are better spent
elsewhere. Under a regulated market, police would have resources
freed up to investigate violent crimes and property offences. This
benefits us all. Bill C-15 does nothing to address this problem.
Indeed, it makes it worse.

Passing C-15 would be costly and dangerous to Canadians and Canadian
society. There is no research or experience that demonstrates this
legislation will do anything else. I urge you to prevent the passage
of this bill by whatever means possible. Don't endanger Canadians.
Don't vote for C- 15.

Jacob Hunter

British Columbia