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Canada: Recreational cannabis will not cause societal collapse Simon Ducatel Sundre Round Up Tuesday 06 Feb 2018 The fear that recreational cannabis legalization will somehow herald a cataclysmic collapse of Canadian society as we know it is founded largely on a complete vacuum of evidence. Politicians who pound the prohibitionist drum are merely pandering to their political base with little to no regard for the mountains of documented data that clearly indicate decriminalization and legalization are far more efficient at reducing drug use as well as drug-related violence. Years ago, I read an insightful and enlightening interview with a now-retired police major from the U.S. who for the majority of his 30 years of service fought at the front line of the drug war with the DEA. Neill Franklin, who went on to become a founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, presented some ironclad arguments and offered an important perspective in a piece by Vice called Tales From a Former Undercover Narc. Questioned on whether he throughout his decades of experience in law enforcement had more trouble with people on drugs or people on alcohol, Franklin replied, “It was always alcohol. Alcohol and violence go hand-in-hand. As a cop on the street, in my entire career, I never had an altercation with someone on weed alone. Domestic violence calls, it’s always alcohol. Weed, man, they’re the most docile folks.” The Sundre RCMP detachment’s commander, Sgt. Jim Lank, who also has 30 years of experience under his belt, relates to the retired major’s perspective. “I 100 per cent agree with his comments, because that’s been my experience as well,” Lank said during a recent interview. Additionally, the concern that our country will overnight become a nation of spaced-out stoners hitting their bongs on the way to work is frankly preposterous. Alcohol, cigarettes and gambling are all legally regulated and taxed. And are we a nation of chain-smoking, alcoholic, debt-burdened gambling addicts who cannot pull away from the slot machines while slamming back drinks and smoking like a chimney? The answer, obviously, is a resounding no. Seems rather ironic how those who bemoan the nanny state conveniently welcome it with open arms when it suits their cause. Gun laws are apparently pointless because those who want firearms will get them regardless, but apparently that logic does not apply to drug laws. We need to form public policy based on the evidence gathered by health authorities at home and abroad as well as from the extensive, real-world experience of police officers such as Franklin and Lank. Laws should not be based on fear-mongering propaganda. Treating a health issue as a criminal problem has only succeeded in destroying the lives of many otherwise decent people while wasting countless millions of dollars along the way by locking up often non-violent “offenders.” The simple fact remains that the failed modern prohibition — just like its predecessor that attempted to ban booze — has merely managed to exacerbate all of the societal ills the policy had set forth to remedy in the first place. Unfortunately, the support that still exists for prohibition stems largely from puritanical moral self-righteousness, an issue Franklin — a devout Christian — does not shy away from. When asked by Vice what Jesus would say about the current drug policy, Franklin was, well, frank. “Jesus Christ was about two things: Number one was forgiveness, and number two was compassion. So if you’re a Christian and you think that these policies are something that your Lord and Savior would embrace, you’ve got another thing coming. Not only that, but how would he feel about us supporting policies that are the foundation for much of the violence and mayhem that we have around the globe today? Loving people — that’s how you get people to treat themselves better.” Once the smoke has settled — pun intended — the pros of ending cannabis prohibition simply outweigh the cons. “Objectively, there are a lot of advantages that really by far outweigh the disadvantages,” Lank said. “Overall, from the law enforcement side and just as a citizen of Canada, I fully support the direction that it’s going.” http://www.sundreroundup.ca/article/Recreational-cannabis-will-not-cause-societal-collapse-20180206
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