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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Canada BC: Advent Of Pot Party Should Be No Surprise
Grand Forks Gazette (Canada) Wednesday 01 Nov 2000 Pubdate: Wed, 01 Nov 2000 Source: Grand Forks Gazette (CN BC) Website: http://www.sterlingnews.com/Forks Author: Hubert Beyer ADVENT OF POT PARTY SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE Ever since our children were teenagers, they have been politically active. Because of my job, they were listening to political discussions at the dinner table when they were knee-high to a grasshopper. By the time they were in their teens, they got involved in election campaigns, first as campaign workers, then as candidates. I have never belonged to any political party. I feel that it is my job to be independent and criticize politicians, regardless of what party they belong to and praise them when praise is due. As a result our children were politically all over the map and still are. Our oldest son, Charles ran for the NDP in the last federal election, Gary, our second-oldest ran provincially for Gordon Wilson's Progressive Democratic Alliance. Our daughter, Patricia, the born free enterpriser, has always leaned more to the right, considering at one time running for the Socreds. This time, Gary and Patricia are staying on the sidelines. Not Chuck, No Sir, he is running in this federal election for the Marijuana Party. Chuck is not what you might call a pothead. He is a realtor and good at his job. The reason he's running for the fringe Marijuana Party is his unshakeable belief that possession of marijuana should be decriminalized and people allowed to grow and possess small amounts for personal use. I happen to agree, although I don't think I would back up that conviction with my candidacy for the Marijuana Party, any more than I would consider running for any of the mainstream parties. And according to a National Post poll earlier this year, 65 per cent of all Canadians agree that possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use should not be a criminal offence. Yet, in 1998, 19,200 adults and youths were charged for possession of marijuana. And about 2,000 Canadians went to jail on simple possession charges. This on the strength of a law two out of three Canadians want abolished. But by far the worst result of the criminalization of drugs, both soft and hard, is the crime it fosters. Prohibition is the most fertile soil for crime, and you can bet your last dollar that the criminals who make huge profits on the smuggling and sale of drugs are not among those who want its possession decriminalized. It is estimated that the legalization and regulation, along the lines of alcohol, just another drug, would generate $20 billion a year. That's not chicken feed. I'm sure Paul Martin would find good use for such a windfall. The legalization of drugs has been proposed by some pretty influential people. Vince Cain, former Chief Coroner of British Columbia, urged governments to legalize drugs. Economist Milton Friedman: "Legalizing drugs would simultaneously reduce the amount of crime and raise the quality of law enforcement. Can you conceive of any other measure that would accomplish so much to promote law and order?" Mainstream parties have on occasion broached the subject, but were always beaten back by the reactionary forces among their members. Alliance leader Stockwell Day hinted during his campaign for the party leadership that, perhaps, the time had come to consider decriminalizing drugs. A resolution to that effect, however, was defeated by convention delegates. With no other party in sight to tackle the issue, Chuck decided to run for the Marijuana Party. I don't think he has any illusions of winning, but he says he is looking forward to airing the issue during the campaign. I am interested to see how many young people who wouldn't dream of even voting because they are disenchanted with the candidates and parties on offer will feel compelled to register their protest vote in favor of the Marijuana Party.
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