LEFT ALLIANCE YOUTH ORGANISATION WANTS TO LEGALISE USE OF CANNABIS

Party Chairman Sticks To Zero Tolerance

The youth organisation of the opposition Left Alliance Party, the
Left Youth of Finland, has narrowly passed a resolution calling for
the legalisation of the use and home cultivation of cannabis. The
decision came at a convention of the organisation this past weekend.

The initiative won by two votes. One of those voting against the
measure was Jussi Saramo, who was re-elected as President of the
group. In his view, the matter should have been given more
consideration, and should have been debated in a broader context of
policy toward intoxicants, with input from experts in the field.

"However, as chairman, I stand behind the decision", he added.

The decision was not a big change to the organisation's previous
policy line on drugs; Saramo noted that an earlier statement on drug
policy issued by the Left Youth states that there should be no
punishments for personal use and home cultivation of cannabis.

However, the policy line, accepted four years ago, stated "Cannabis
should not be legalised in Finland". Now the executive of the
organisation will have to update that document.

"We don't need any more drugs, but victimising the users does not
help", Saramo says.

Left Alliance Chairman Matti Korhonen says that the party is
distancing itself from the vies of its youth organisation. In his
view, holding a vote at a convention is not the right way to decide
on such big matters.

"The party's starting point is one of zero tolerance", Korhonen notes.

He added, however, that he welcomes drug policy debate as such.

In November the chairman of the Satakunta section of the Left Youth
of Finland was sentenced by Pori District Court to a fine for growing
and smoking marijuana.

An aide to a Left Alliance MP, who lived in the same commune, but was
not convicted in the case, was nevertheless not allowed by the party
to run as a candidate in the Parliamentary elections in March.