cannabisnews.com: Pot Growers No Worse Than Martini Drinkers





Pot Growers No Worse Than Martini Drinkers
Posted by CN Staff on June 21, 2003 at 09:12:39 PT
By Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun 
Source: Vancouver Sun 
One of B.C.'s most senior appeal court judges says she no longer believes marijuana offences are serious crimes. "While at one time I accepted the received wisdom that marijuana offences were serious crimes, I now am of a different opinion," B.C. Court of Appeal Justice Mary Southin said in a written judgment released Friday."In my years on the bench I have sat on over 40 cases which had something to do with this substance, which appears to be of no greater danger to society than alcohol," she said.
Her comments were contained in a unanimous written ruling by a three-judge panel that overturned a lower court decision to convict a Vancouver couple of operating a marijuana growing operation."I have not yet abandoned my conviction that Parliament has a constitutional right to be hoodwinked, as it was in the 1920s and 1930s by the propaganda against marijuana, and to remain hoodwinked," she said in the judgment."The growing, trafficking in, and possession of marijuana ... is the source of much work, not only for peace officers but also for lawyers and judges. Whether that work contributes to peace, order and good government is another matter."Southin said the marijuana laws in Canada and the U.S. have made "criminals of those who are no better or worse, morally or physically, than people who like a martini."And she went on to cite the anti-marijuana propaganda in the 1936 American film, Reefer Madness, which claimed that pot was "the new drug menace which is destroying the youth of America in alarmingly increasing numbers."Complete Title: Pot Growers No Worse Than Martini Drinkers, Judge Says Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/growers.htm Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)Author: Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun Published: Saturday, June 21, 2003Copyright: 2003 Vancouver Sun Contact: sunletters pacpress.southam.caWebsite: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmGet a Handle On Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16669.shtmlJudge Allows Marijuana Ruling To Stand http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16592.shtmlNo Laws Ban Possession of Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16321.shtml 
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Comment #8 posted by Torog on June 22, 2003 at 11:31:09 PT
Changing the 'tude
 If more judges could realize that pot users are no worse than-and probably much less worse than- alcohol users-then hopefully pot users wouldn't fall under a stigmatization that's currently worse than alcohol users. This position would allow more judges to "soften" their attitude towards pot users without appearing to "soften" their position on the drug war. Of course- We all know that when the facts are presented side by side-that pot users will always be less harmful to society-I would also like to believe that in fact-pot users are beneficial to society. Y'all have a good one....Torog
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Comment #7 posted by billos on June 22, 2003 at 03:53:20 PT:
Pee Walters
Jonnie would consider this article blasphamy.
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Comment #6 posted by freedom fighter on June 22, 2003 at 00:48:21 PT
daoist cowboy
You quoted, " I would feel better if Canada had a nuclear deterrent."I am curious as to what kind of "nuclear deterrent" you are talking about?Ya but be right when it took Rome a thousand of years to build..But, it only took mere a day for Rome to burn..paceff
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Comment #5 posted by daoist cowboy on June 21, 2003 at 21:34:59 PT:
ya but
It wasn't long after the Parker (July 2000, the ruling, and 1 year dead line for the gov to emend by July 31 2001)decision that the world trade center thing happened - it wouldn't surprise me that something could be on it's way again, something big enough to set back all that is taking shape - I would feel better if Canada had a nuclear deterrent. I know it sounds shity but looking around at who gets fucked with by you know who, it's never the ones that can give the big bully a bloody nose, only the easy wins, and ones with resources, or geographical interests.
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Comment #4 posted by afterburner on June 21, 2003 at 19:40:23 PT:
Today, Possession Is Legal; Tomorrow, Growing.
"Her comments were contained in a unanimous written ruling by a three-judge panel that overturned a lower court decision to convict a Vancouver couple of operating a marijuana growing operation."ego transcendence follows ego destruction, who must rule on the damage done to cannabis partakers and their growers, who must judge whether sufficient harm is done by smoking cannabis or growing cannabis to justify Draconian penalties? Why, yes, I believe it is the courts.
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Comment #3 posted by null on June 21, 2003 at 17:15:00 PT
one surprise
one thing i find surprising is that so few articles which concern the "decriminalization bill" in Canada mention the fact that the courts have struck down the current possession law! who needs decrim when it's currently deregulated! thus, the "decrim" bill would actually be a **recriminalization** bill. May the courts prevail! May the legislature fail! May the police wail! May herb be legally FOR SALE!! :D
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Comment #2 posted by cloud7 on June 21, 2003 at 13:03:15 PT
In Shock..
I still cannot believe all the POSITIVE articles weve been seeing. Everything is moving so fast in Canada. If it goes (oops....stays!) completely legal in Canada, I would guess at the latest, it would be legal in the US in 2008.
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Comment #1 posted by Arthropod on June 21, 2003 at 10:27:21 PT:
Amen to that
This is where we need to place our faith. Sane people in office and the will of the people were what saved us from the first Prohibition, and it will save us from the current Prohib as well. It will just take a lot of time, effort, and willingness to stick to the stright and narrow to show people that potheads aren't the stark raving evil bastards big govt. portrays us all as.
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