What?s Canada Saying about Cannabis Use?

2009.05.03

  For a long time, the attitude about marijuana, in North America has been mixed since the 1960’s. In The Netherlands, you can go into a coffee shop and choose from many different brands, and if you want to smoke it, there are designated areas for that. In Canada, it is a fact that Canadians use more marijuana than any other country in Europe, (Maybe because we don’t have a ratified constitution yet, I don’t know), but anyway, we Canadians smoke more than any other European country.

Where the Liberals want to de-criminalize cannabis, the Conservatives want tougher penalties. The argument rages on both sides about what to do. The truth is that when something is illegal, people will find a way to get it, make it or grow it, as proved during prohibition, when it was realized that making alcohol illegal was the best thing that ever could have happened to organized crime.

 However, the traditional, look the other way approach to cannabis is fast evaporating because of recent events. In British Colombia, pot has generated about 7 billion just last year, but now, after a slew of killings gangland style and many high profile arrests, the once romantic view on marijuana has come under very close scrutiny, causing Stephen Harper to call for an American approach to weed, and that means stiffer penalties for growers and traffickers, and more money for enforcement and prosecution for possession.

 It all started in British Columbia in the 1970’s with the American draft dodgers, and, since that time it has grown exponentially, so that by 2000, marijuana or cannabis has been grown in 17,500 homes in the province. On the other hand, the Canadian government has shown a relaxed attitude when it comes to the medicinal use of cannabis, being the first nation to regulate consumption for medical purposes.

            The incident that has spawned all the controversy is the slaying of 19 people in one over cannabis. It is an escalated, full- blown drug war and it is taking innocent lives. This is also a large argument for de-criminalizing marijuana, and has people like former Vancouver mayor and ex RCMP drug officer supporting legalization, saying that the punishment and jail system simply doesn’t work. A strong show of force is no longer an effective deterrent to crime, and, if you look at the situation closely, there is quite clear evidence that, because cannabis is illegal, people on both sides of the law are benefiting from it, one in trade and the other in votes.

Old school solutions don’t work anymore - it would make more sense to come up with legislation that would allow a closely monitored legal system of cannabis use, rather than the old school fear tactics of jail and stiffer penalties that have been proven not to work, because if they did, there a wouldn’t be such a thriving multi billion dollar industry laughing at that system.