cannabisnews.com: NAPP: Don't Legalize Marijuana





NAPP: Don't Legalize Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on September 08, 2002 at 18:08:47 PT
Press Release
Source: Canada NewsWire
Canada's largest police associations oppose a Senate recommendation that the sale and use of marijuana be made legal. The 24,000-member National Association of Professional Police, (NAPP) has asked federal Health Minister Anne McLellan to take the lead in cabinet and view the possible legalization of pot as a serious health and social issue.
NAPP President Brian Adkin says the greatest concern Canada's police have is the potential cost in human lives of marijuana legalization, a substance known to cause cognitive impairment."There are currently no widely-accepted and easily-administered tests available to detect whether someone's judgement or ability to function has been compromised by marijuana use," says Adkin."For those who drink and drive, we have the breathalyser. But there is no way for us to know whether the driver next to you on the road or the pilot flying a plane or someone operating heavy machinery is under the influence of marijuana. There is no way for us to know whether they pose a danger to lives of others," he adds.Adkin also points out that the use the use of marijuana, like the use of tobacco, poses a health risk to those who smoke it. "Smoke of any kind, drawn into the lungs, will surely have adverse effects on long-term users. We do not need to add another burden to an already-strained health care system".In asking the federal Health minister to oppose the legalization of pot, NAPP points out that the many serious ramifications of marijuana legalization have not been adequately studied, particularly the effects that legalization would have on the competitiveness and quality of our schools, colleges and universities with students as young as 16 being permitted to smoke marijuana."We urge that no move toward decriminalization nor legalization of marijuana be made without exhaustive public consultation nor without expert advice from those involved in the fields of justice, law enforcement and medicine," the Association concludes. For further information: English Media: Brian Adkin, President, National Association of Professional Police, (416) 347-6772; Francophone Media: Tony Cannavino, Vice-President, National Association of Professional Police, (514) 386-7351.Complete Title: Don't Legalize Marijuana: National Association of Professional PoliceSource: Canada NewsWire Published: September 8, 2002Copyright: 2002 Canada NewsWire Ltd.  E-Mail:  cnw newswire.caWebsite: http://www.newswire.ca/Related Articles:Call to Legalize Marijuana Stirs Debate in Canada http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14046.shtmlWhy Cannabis Should Be Legal http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14045.shtmlPolice Chief Slams Legal Pot Planhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13999.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by Slatts on September 09, 2002 at 12:29:10 PT:
 NAPP: Don't Legalize Marijuana 
"There are currently no widely-accepted and easily-administered tests available to detect whether someone's judgement or ability to function has been compromised by marijuana use," says Adkin.
Why is it that no prohibitionist has ever heard of "Impairment Testing"?
A system far superior to any chemical drug test at finding those who should not be driving etc.
And secondly what the hell is a pubic servant doing making this sort of political statement? All these police comments are just like saying; "You can't make it legal because I would be without a job if I don't have people to arrest".Slatts
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Comment #7 posted by prop203 on September 09, 2002 at 02:43:05 PT
Walk the LINE
Cant the just make u do a motor skills test?If I can walk a streight line.. Say my ABC's .. Close my eyes and touch my nose and all that other crap they make u do I think I can DRIVE! Isnt failing that test what determins imparment? If I PASS I AM NOT IMPARIED its that simple... PeaceVote YES on Prop 203 in Arizona 2002
  
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Comment #6 posted by Phasetheory on September 09, 2002 at 01:05:10 PT
Exactly
The quote, "There are currently no widely-accepted and easily-administered tests available to detect whether someone's judgement or ability to function has been compromised by marijuana use," by Adkin...I wonder if he realizes what he said??? If there is no way to tell if a person's judgement and ability to function has been compromised... does marijuana ACTUALLY do just that????If does... it's too little to detect... and my next question whould be then... WHY IN THE HELL IS IT ILLEGAL!
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Comment #5 posted by freedom fighter on September 08, 2002 at 23:34:12 PT
Is it cognitive enough?
Dear Editor:In regard to an article titled, "NAPP: Don't Legalize Marijuana"According to "NAPP President Brian Adkin says the greatest concern Canada's police have is the potential cost in human lives of marijuana legalization, a substance known to cause cognitive impairment."There are currently no widely-accepted and easily-administered tests available to detect whether someone's judgement or ability to function has been compromised by marijuana use," says Adkin."Am I as a pot consumer, cognitive enough to understand that there is just no way to test cognitive impairment? Does Mr. Adkin mean to say there is no cognitive way to tell if a pot consumer is impaired?Is that just a good excuse to put me in a prison? And most important question is Why?Respectfully Yours(Me)ff
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Comment #4 posted by Unknown Pleasures on September 08, 2002 at 22:27:50 PT
Health risks??
Fast food leads to a number of ugly diseases, a possible death at the hands of a stroke or heart attack, and has no medicinal value whatsoever. 
Yet Mcdonald's was a sponsor of the last Olympics.Surely, Jail time for fast-food abuse is the logical solution. 
 
I'm so friggin' tired of all the bullshit. 
Seriously, what will it take for some of these people to realize the utter madness of prohobition laws??You can give them all the information they ask for, discount every so-called 'fact', and still...  
"NAPP President Brian Adkin says the greatest concern Canada's police have is the potential cost in human lives of marijuana legalization, a substance known to cause cognitive impairment." "Brain Damage! ...blah-blah-blah... Crime! ...blah-blah-blah... Violence! ...blah-blah-blah... Danger!" 
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Comment #3 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on September 08, 2002 at 19:48:30 PT
Professional Police? As opposed to...?
A quick LTE before bedtime turns into a lengthy screed... but there's a lot of manure to be replied to for such a short little article.-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Sirs,  The National Association of Professional Police asks for yet more research into whether the cannabis laws should be relaxed. Apparently, the years spent by the Senate committee were not enough. The years spent preparing the LeDain commission report weren't enough. The years spent in the USA on the Shaffer Commission report and the Institute of Medicine report weren't enough. All these reports conclude that marijuana prohibition is a failure. The police want the research (and the status quo) to continue until their beliefs are supported, but this is not going to happen.  For the police to say "smoke of any kind, drawn into the lungs, will surely have adverse effects on long-term users" is the truth, but not the whole truth. Jail of any kind, when imposed on someone who is not harming others, will also have adverse effects in even small amounts. Of course, it's the current laws that ensure that marijuana will continue to be smoked. If the price of marijuana were not artificially enflated, more people could afford to cook with it. If the police didn't raid shops associated with the cannabis culture, one could more easily purchase a vaporizer, a device which allows one to inhale the active ingredients without burning the non-active ingredients.  The article asks the question of what effect marijuana legalization would have on schools. Do they really believe that schoolchildren have a hard time getting marijuana now? In the USA, a college student can be denied financial aid if they have a drug conviction. That's not marijuana causing poor education - that's an effect of prohibition.   For the police to pretend to be on the lookout for our health is absurd in a country that allows one to buy alcohol, cigarettes, and fast food. Aspirin kills more people than cannabis, yet nobody wishes to see it outlawed. Alcohol is the number one killer, but I doubt many people wish to see the return of Al Capone. Marijuana should be treated in a similar manner to alcohol - regulate it and tax it, and do away with the corruption and crime associated with prohibition. Marijuana is not going to go away. The current policies make criminals out of otherwise law abiding people, and make the real criminals rich.-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-You, too, can write a Letter to the Editor - and I highly reccomend it. Here's the link to get started:
How to write letters to the editor
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Comment #2 posted by John Tyler on September 08, 2002 at 19:16:37 PT
Just what the Senate did
An exhaustive two study was just completed by a commitee of the Candian Senate where health care professional, law enforcement types, foreign governments with more expreience in this field, etc.,etc. and they agreed that cannabis should be legal. The way these police guys are carrying on you would think this came out of nowhere and surprised them. They are squaking because busting cannabis users is job security for cops. They shouldn't worry they are gov. employees and they won't get layed off. 
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Comment #1 posted by JHarshaw on September 08, 2002 at 18:23:19 PT
Lets waste even more time!
""We urge that no move toward decriminalization nor legalization of marijuana be made without exhaustive public
    consultation nor without expert advice from those involved in the fields of justice, law enforcement and medicine," the
    Association concludes."Did'nt the Senate Commitee just spend TWO YEARS doing just that?
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