MARIJUANA REFORM IS NECESSARY

The lethal gun battles on the streets of Vancouver, the astounding
number of murders in Mexico, and the insurgency that continues to grow
in Afghanistan (which results in our soldiers being killed) all have
one thing in common: the trafficking of illegal drugs.

The U.S.-style war on drugs that is being pursued by Canada's
Conservative government has proven to be an utter failure. It has not
reduced crime, harm or even drug use.

The only groups benefitting from the status quo are organized crime
gangs, insurgent groups, and terrorist organizations. Who pays a heavy
price? Society, our soldiers, some of the world's poorest countries,
and the most vulnerable people in our communities.

So how do we deal with this? First, our government needs to change its
perspective and see substance abuse as a medical problem, not a
judicial one.

In order to reduce the supply of illegal drugs flowing into our
communities and, by extension, the funding of organized criminal
groups and insurgents, we must get our own house in order and reduce
the demand for these drugs.

Can we sever the ties between addicts and organized crime? Indeed we
can. One superb initiative that does this is a little-known program in
Vancouver called the North American Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI).

This program allows addicts to receive prescribed narcotics under
medical supervision. It frees these patients from the devastating
feedback loop of drug dependence and criminal activity and brings them
into the medical system. The addict no longer commits illegal
activities (usually theft, prostitution, or trafficking) to fund their
addiction, which produces a significant reduction in crime. It also
severs the ties between the individual and the organized crime gangs
that are the primary vehicles for moving illegal drugs into Canada. By
breaking this cycle, addicts are able to remain connected to the
medical system, access training programs, psychological therapy and
educational opportunities, gain employment, and rebuild their lives
with their families.

Another initiative that is needed to modernize our drug laws is to
decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, including
the possession of up to two plants.

This will cut the connection between the gangs involved in commercial
grow ops and casual pot users.

Bill C-359 was introduced this spring to accomplish these goals. Under
this bill, a person who is caught with less than 30 grams of marijuana
or less than two plants would receive a fine instead of going through
the expensive court system and receiving a criminal record, or even
incarceration if found guilty. The money saved could be invested in
prevention programs like the Head Start/Early Learning Program for
children or drug treatment programs like NAOMI.

Many studies, including those done by House of Commons committees,
have found that current federal drug policies have not been effective
at reducing drug use, trafficking, crime, and harm. In 2002, the
Senate Report on Illegal Drugs called for the decriminalization of the
simple possession of marijuana. Respected organizations like the
Canadian Medical Association have also echoed this position.

The medical profession has a principle: do no harm.

We are actually doing terrible harm and will do so for as long as we
continue to address substance abuse as a criminal issue.
Decriminalizing the simple possession of marijuana would be a start at
reducing harm, cost, and criminal activity in Canada. Several states
in the U.S. have done this with positive results, as have many
countries in Europe. Canada can and should do it too.