LOCKING POT USERS UP ISN'T WORKING, SAYS FORMER HEALTH OFFICER

Arresting and locking up people for using marijuana isn't working,
says the North Island's former medical health officer.

Dr. Brian Emerson, who is now a consultant for the B.C. Ministry of
Health Services, made his views known at a conference in Vancouver
last May.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association hosted "Beyond Prohibition: Legal
Cannabis in Canada," a conference devoted to describing what a
post-prohibition Canada might look like.

In the July issue of the association's newsletter, The Democratic
Commitment, Dr. Emerson's presentation was summed up in a paragraph,
"Dr. Emerson argued that criminal law based approach to drug use was a
mistake and proposed that we tackle illegal drug use as a public
health issue, similar to the way society views the problematic use of
legal substances like tobacco and alcohol."

Other key speakers at the conference included pot advocate Mary Emery,
Senator Pierre Claude Nolin and Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell who
said marijuana should be legalized and taxed, with the money going to
health care.

North Island Medical Health Officer Dr. Charmaine Enns, who took over
from Dr. Emerson in July 2003, does not advocate using marijuana.

However, she said it's worth looking at decriminalizing pot.

"We know the current system isn't working - we need to ensure there is
regulation and control of the product like alcohol and tobacco," she
said Thursday. "Someone getting a criminal record for smoking a joint
doesn't seem right."

Dr. Enns added that more medical research is needed to determine the
long-term health effects of using marijuana.