City of Vancouver to debate pot decriminalization
Posted April 26, 2012 9:39 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The City of Vancouver is about to jump onto the decriminalize-marijuana bandwagon. The issue is to be debated at council next week.
Vision Vancouver Councillor Kerry Jang, who is a psychiatrist by trade, says the current prohibition on the pot trade has fed organized crime, contributes to high policing costs, and has done nothing to curb use.
Within the last few months, former attorneys-general, former Vancouver mayors and even BC’s chief medical officer have been calling on the federal government to reform its marijuana laws.
Jang insists cities do have the power to influence federal health policy, and he points to the success of the city’s safe injection site as an example.
“By cities coming together and simply saying ‘Look we need a better approach. What you’re doing is failing us. It’s your responsibility to help us manage a major social issue in our cities, and you have the power to do it.’ We managed to do that with Insite.“
He says by regulating the sale and use of marijuana, much like we do with alcohol and tobacco, we can better control its use.
“People go to jail, for example, if they drink and drive. We have very tough laws against drinking and driving, but we have none against driving while under the influence of marijuana. I think it’s time we had some laws.”
Meanwhile, eight mayors, including Vancouver’s Gregor Robertson and Burnaby’s Derek Corrigan, have written to provincial party leaders urging them to support legalizing and taxing marijuana to undercut gang crime.
Criminologist says changing law would be frowned upon by US
Despite all the calls to decriminalize pot, SFU criminologist Rob Gordon doesn’t see the Harper government making a change.
“I’m not sure which particular political party can push it through, because one of the major difficulties here is the international nature of this particular drug trade,” he says, referring to the zero tolerance policy in the US.
He points there’s a huge gang component linked to dealing weed, something that’s creating a lot of problems along the US and Mexican border.
