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| Laws Have No Effect on Pot-Smoking Young People |
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Posted by CN Staff on May 02, 2002 at 16:58:44 PT By Dennis Bueckert, Canadian Press Source: Canadian Press 
Efforts to prevent marijuana use are having little impact, and young Canadians are smoking up in greater numbers than ever, a Senate report says. An estimated 30 to 50 per cent of people 15 to 24 years old have used cannabis despite its illegality, the report, released Thursday by the Senate committee on illegal drugs, says. "When you examine cannabis usage among youth, you realize that public policy has absolutely no effect," Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, committee chairman, told a news conference. "The psychology of adolescents seems to take no account of the rules of law." After studying the pros and cons of pot use for 14 months, the committee also concludes that scientific evidence suggests marijuana isn't a so-called gateway drug that leads to the use of harder drugs. The discussion paper, intended to guide public consultation on the marijuana issues, indicates that millions of dollars in public money being spent to combat pot is wasted. The arguments in the paper are far from new - many were made in the Le Dain report of 1973. Yet the federal government has been reluctant to change the law and Health Minister Anne McLellan has backtracked from a plan to give severely ill patients access to government-grown marijuana. There's a widespread perception that the federal government is reluctant to decriminalize pot because of opposition from the United States, which remains committed to prohibition. The Nolin committee raises that issue in a questionnaire it will submit to participants in consultations planned for six Canadian communities in coming weeks. "If Canada was to adopt a different, more liberal approach to cannabis, should it take into account the reaction of the USA?" the questionnaire asks. "What would the reaction likely be?" The discussion paper offers no recommendation on whether the law should be changed. That will come in its final report in August. But Nolin has said he personally favours decriminalization. Other findings in the paper, based on extensive hearings and research over the past year: * Cannabis is a psyhoactive substance and it's better not to use it. It may have some negative effects on the health of individuals, but considering the patterns of use, these effects are relatively benign. * Pharmacological studies of cannabis have not found any element that predisposes users to more potent drugs. * Pot doesn't increase aggressiveness or anti-social behaviour, nor induce users to commit crimes. * Definitive conclusions can't be drawn from available evidence about how cannabis affects driving abilities, although it may lead to increased risk at high doses or combined with alcohol. * Cannabis use doesn't hurt academic performance. "Studies tend to indicate that problem young cannabis users are also problem alcohold users, manifesting other risk-taking behaviour. These are therefore symptoms of other underlying problems rather than causes." The annual cost of fighting illegal drugs, for federal agencies alone, is estimated at $500 million. Each year, more than 30,000 Canadians are charged with simple possession of marijuana. Complete Title: Laws Have Absolutely No Effect on Pot-Smoking Young People: Senate Committee Related Articles & Web Site: Canadian Links Canada: The Debate Over Decriminalization Should We Treat Pot Like Tobacco? Senators Ask Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #4 posted by schmeff on May 03, 2002 at 09:17:15 PT |
| "The psychology of adolescents seems to take no account of the rules of law."" This is why adolescents are treated (usually) as a different species by the justice system, and why it is absolutely ridiculous to craft laws for adults that "send the right message to children." [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by The GCW on May 03, 2002 at 06:51:20 PT |
| The Special Committee on Illegal Drugs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenHome.asp?Language=E&Parl=37&Ses=1&comm_id=85 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on May 02, 2002 at 18:40:27 PT |
| My guess is more but those 30 to 50 percent are going to continue to enjoy cannabis, regardless of what the US government says or does. Cannabis smuggling from Canada into the USA has replaced alcohol smuggling that occurred during the years of alcohol prohibition. How many years will that go on until cannabis gets legalized? Well, it has been used by man for an estimated eight thousand years, so, I'll start with another eight thousand years. It could become legal before then. It is impossible to stop. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by boppy on May 02, 2002 at 18:03:00 PT |
| "There's a widespread perception that the federal government is reluctant to decriminalize pot because of opposition from the United States, which remains committed to prohibition." That is completely correct. The United States are the global bullies of the world. Canada feels our big finger wagging at them and is torn at how to respond. Hopefully logic will win out. [ Post Comment ] |
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