cannabisnews.com: A Tokin Gesture: Health Board Want Grass Legalized





A Tokin Gesture: Health Board Want Grass Legalized
Posted by FoM on October 26, 2001 at 07:44:42 PT
By Brad Honywill, City Hall Bureau
Source: Toronto Sun
Five months after banning tobacco smoking in restaurants, the city's health department is calling for the decriminalization of pot smoking. Toronto's health board is expected to approve a staff position paper at its meeting on Monday, recommending that marijuana possession for personal use be removed from the Criminal Code. 
 No Contradiction Toronto Health Board chairman Joe Mihevc said yesterday there is no contradiction between the board's positions on tobacco and pot smoking. "There is no evidence, that I'm aware of, to suggest that criminalizing an activity like smoking, like drinking, like smoking marijuana, has a positive effect on people's behaviour," Mihevc said. "Restricting where it is smoked, if you look at places such as California, does have a positive effect." Bringing pot smoking to the surface will allow society to put better controls on its use, he said. It will also save society the millions, if not billions, of dollars now spent on enforcement that would be better spent elsewhere, he added. The position paper, released yesterday, was requested by a special Senate committee on illegal drugs which will consider it when making recommendations to the federal government. It argues that marijuana use is widespread in today's society and, in the short term, has few harmful effects. Mihevc estimated that about 90% of the population has tried marijuana. He refused, however, to say if the devil weed has ever touched his lips. Police Chief Julian Fantino announced several months ago that he supports the decriminalization of marijuana. Councillor Doug Holyday, a leader of the conservative wing of city council, said yesterday he is concerned that decriminalizing marijuana will lead to a greater use of more harmful street drugs. But, he added, he isn't ready to oppose the position when Fantino supports it. The position paper says that marijuana is not physically addictive and there are few proven harmful health effects from short-term use. Long-Term Effects But studies suggest there is the possibility of serious effects from long-term use, including impaired immune systems and respiratory cancer. There are also concerns about the use of marijuana by drivers and psychological addiction. But the position paper says there is no evidence that marijuana use encourages the use of stronger street drugs. Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)Author:  Brad Honywill, City Hall BureauPublished: Friday, October 26, 2001Copyright: 2001 Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: editor sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyitoronto.com/torsun.shtmlRelated Articles & Web Site:FTE's Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htm No Relief from Draconian Pot Laws http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11192.shtmlDrugs in Canada - Gone To Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10571.shtmlCannabisNews Articles - Canadahttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=canada 
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Comment #4 posted by wades on October 26, 2001 at 13:35:56 PT:
re: bruce42
But studies suggest there is the possibility of serious effects from long-term use, including impaired immune systems and respiratory cancer.
"Studies" might suggest that to the credulous. After all, one can rig a "study" to suggest anything one wants suggested. The experience of millenia, on the other hand, suggests there is little risk of these problems.
There are also concerns about the use of marijuana by drivers...
Not in the minds of those who have examined the actual driving performance of experienced cannabis users. Or at any rate, the concerns are comparable to the concerns one might have about people driving after taking a normal-size dose of Benadryl: measurable increases in reaction time, but not remotely comparable to those caused by a "legal" blood alcohol concentration.
...and psychological addiction.
As if anyone knows what "psychological addiction" is. Me, I think it's just a way of being judgmental ("You shouldn't do that so much. It's bad for your soul, and God doesn't like it.") without sounding, well, judgmental. Personally, I find coffee addiction a lot more problematic.
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Comment #3 posted by bruce42 on October 26, 2001 at 11:34:21 PT
the end bit is important
"But studies suggest there is the possibility of serious effects from long-term use, including impaired immune systems and respiratory cancer. There are also concerns about the use of marijuana by drivers and psychological addiction."The key word here is "suggest." No one really knows what long term marijuana smoking does- from a scientific/medical standpoint. With decriminalization, studies can be conducted without huge amounts of red tape involved. This way, people could make informed choices about marijuana use. Finally, people might take seriously research into risk reduction devices.One thing that concerns mestill is growing. People should be allowd to grow a small number of plants for personal use. THIS is essential for seperating relatively harmless cannabis from harder, and frankly, much more risky drugs such as heroin and cocaine. 
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Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on October 26, 2001 at 08:28:44 PT
Crack, slip, bang
That sound you hear is the sound of the wall breaking, each little brick falling from the wall brings us to the final conclusion, that the drug war is crumbling. Keep listening for more sounds, they sometimes get loud. Drug warriors, you have time, but it's limited.
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Comment #1 posted by Robbie on October 26, 2001 at 08:15:22 PT
Oh, Canada!!
Well, as usual, the US will be the ONLY nation (one of the few) not to have progressive drug laws."Oh the children! What are we saying to the children!?!"What are we saying to the children with locking people up with no cause, bombing people peripheral to the cause of 9/11, perpetuating the widening gap between rich and poor...?I think kids are going to hell as it is.
Undernews
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