Council Supports Cannabis Change

Written by Peter McIntyre  107.5 KISSFM  Tuesday, 10 April 2012 19:00 

Dave Kennedy from Stop the Violence BC

  Vernon has joined Armstrong, Enderby and Victoria councils in supporting a bid to decriminalize and tax marijuana. Council backed a resolution from Stop the Violence BC which says the move would free up police resources, reduce crime, and generate more tax revenue. Councillor Bob Spiers says it's a way of getting rid of the criminal element. "The prohibition and criminalization hasn't worked. This is just a possibility of a new approach." Councillor Brian Quiring was the lone opponent, saying he can't see how it would be a good thing for the community. "I've never tried it and I want to keep it that way. I've seen what it's done in the workplace and with families, and I just can't support it." Retired family doctor Dave Kennedy of the Stop the Violence group made a presentation to council Tuesday. Kennedy--who made it very clear he doesn't smoke anything--doesn't think it will lead to more young people using pot, saying an 11 year study in Portugal has shown the opposite. "There has been a decrease in cannabis use in the most vulnerable group of young people aged 16 to 20." Quiring says that study doesn't convince him. "I just can't imagine how legalizing marijuana could be good for the community. I have a lot of respect for the presentation, but I'm just not interested in what they do in Portugal." Kennedy says four past BC attorneys-general are backing the campaign along with many others which is aimed at convincing the federal government to consider other approaches. He says the distribution model would be up for discussion. "In the case of marijuana, perhaps not a lot different that what we do with cigarettes. Where it would be dispensed from would be open to question. Would it be a pharmacy or a liquor control store. Something like that." The resolution will go to the Union of BC Municipalities, then to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and eventually to the federal government for consideration.
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Some articles re Portugal experiment: (Just Goggle Portugal & Marijuana use)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=portugal-drug-decriminalization
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html