SENATORS ENDORSE HEALTHY DEBATE, NOT DRUG USE

To the editor:

The response to the report of the Senate special committee on illegal drugs
has, in many ways, been just what we hoped for: informed discussion, debate
and dialogue. Indeed, let's keep it up. However, as I participate in radio
and TV shows, read letters-to-the-editor, editorials and columnists, it has
become clear that some of what the committee said in the report either was
not heard or has been misunderstood.

First, we do not endorse recreational drug use of any kind. We would prefer
to see a drug-free society, just as we would love to see world peace. But
we are realistic enough to know we will not likely see it in our lifetime.

The premise of our report is that in a free society such as ours, citizens
should have the right to make their own informed decisions on their
behaviour as long as it does not inordinately harm others. And we found
that cannabis falls into that category. It is less harmful to individuals
and others than tobacco or alcohol, so let's treat it in a similar way.
Certainly, we found no good reason for Canadians to have a criminal record
for personal, recreational use of marijuana.

There has also been a lot of controversy around our report regarding a
legal limit of age 16. The committee recommended an age limit for legal
consumption at 16 as an absolute minimum age, based on the scientific
findings that the human brain is developed enough by then not to be
physically harmed. In other words, we recommend that the authorities not
legalize cannabis for use younger than the age of 16. Appropriate
authorities may well have good reason to determine that another age above
16 would be best. That is why we want the key federal and provincial
players to initiate meetings with other health and community stakeholders
to determine an acceptable age.

A lot has been said about messages being sent. Before we send messages, we
should have an intelligent debate about what the messages should be. One
political leader even said he would prefer his children consume alcohol
rather than smoke cannabis. Wrong message! Again, this report is not about
comparing the merits of cannabis with other substances, but about whether
otherwise law-abiding Canadians should be persecuted, prosecuted and
penalized by the criminal justice system for consuming a substance proven
to be relatively benign.

We believe that education, treatment and prevention are the ways to deal
with any problems the use of tobacco, alcohol or cannabis may cause, not
prohibition and criminalization.

Just as disturbing have been the attacks on our report from some of the
organizations that represent the police community. Yet, we considered their
advice carefully. We simply don't completely agree with them. At the same
time, our report addresses specific issues raised by the police, such as
calling for a national drug policy, a national adviser and effective
research co-ordination, and recommending that the legal blood-alcohol level
be reduced to .04 from .08 when in the presence of cannabis.

Finally, there is the ridiculous notion that the conclusions of our report
in some way promote or advance criminal activity or support terrorism.
Currently, organized crime enjoys vast profits from the sale of illicit
drugs. Legalization takes the production and distribution of cannabis
products out of the hands of organized crime.

If there is any "gateway effect" that can be attributed to cannabis, it's
the fact that buyers, especially young people, are exposed to these
dealers, who stand to gain far more from pushing much more highly addictive
substances on their customers than they do from selling cannabis.

We think Canadians are quite capable of making a wise choice with respect
to cannabis policy. It is quite clear that they are more than willing to
debate the issue. I hope our report continues to provide the information
and ideas to help Canada to a new policy of healing and dignity, rather the
degradation and despair created by our current prohibitionist policy.

Senator Pierre-Claude Nolin

Sen Pierre-Claude Nolin chaired the Senate's Special Committee on Illegal
Drugs. Its report, Cannabis: Our Position for a Canadian Public Policy, can
be found at http://www.parl.gc.ca/illegal-drugs.asp.