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MORE PROBLEMS WITH DECRIMINALIZING MARIJUANA
One wonders whether the movers and shakers
in the Liberal minority government - especially those in the
Prime Minister's Office (PMO) - aren't actually smoking pot
themselves! Certainly, their judgment seems to be drastically
off balance as evidenced by their proposal to decriminalize
marijuana use in Canada.
On November 1, 2004, the Liberal government
tabled, yet again, its marijuana bill (Bill C-17), first introduced
by Justice Minister Cotler's predecessor, Martin Cauchon,
back in May 2003. This bill proposes decriminalizing possession
of marijuana (up to 15 grams - about 20-30 cigarettes) and
allows prosecution by way of a ticket, much like a traffic
ticket, rather than a criminal charge. Under the ticketing
scheme, fines of up to $150 for an adult, and $100 for a youth
would be imposed.
Objections Made to the Marijuana Bill
- The U.S.
The American Ambassador to Canada, Paul
Cellucci, warned the government shortly after this bill
was tabled, that it would cause serious problems at the
U.S.-Canada border. U.S. Customs officers, he stated,
will, as a result of the proposed decriminalization of
marijuana, be placed on a high alert for smugglers, with
increased inspection and questioning of individuals entering
the U.S. Such action will create a very serious problem,
since crossing points are already bogged down with security-related
screening. Prime Minister Martin, however, brushed aside
Mr. Cellucci's warning, stating that "Canada will
make its own laws, pure and simple."
What was Mr. Martin thinking? Canada already
has many trade disputes with the U.S. over beef and softwood
lumber, and we don't need another.
The fact is that Canada's largest trading
partner is the U.S. Last calendar year, the total U.S./Canada
trade amounted to $330 billion. Nearly $900 million moves
back and forth across the border each and every day of
the year. The importance of our trade with the U.S. is
obvious when one considers the second largest trading
partner with Canada is Japan, and our trade with that
country amounts to only a miniscule 2½% of the
U.S./Canada trade figures. Have we lost all common sense
and judgment by insisting on decriminalizing marijuana?
Not only is this going to create problems for society
in general it will also intensify trade problems with
the U.S.
- Business Groups
Canada's largest and most influential
business group has warned that Canada's proposed marijuana
legislation is going to harm our economy. The Canadian
Council of Chief Executives, which represents 150 major
multinational corporations, stated that pushing ahead
with the marijuana legislation will increase injuries,
absenteeism and poor job performance in industry. According
to Executive Vice-President, David Stewart-Pattern, substance
abuse in the workplace is already costing the economy
$18.4 billion a year, and this will be greatly exacerbated
by the decriminalization of marijuana.
Mr. Steward-Patterson said it is imperative
that Ottawa conduct a major study of how marijuana affects
job performance before it wipes out criminal penalties
for possession of less than 15 grams of marijuana and
hashish.
Dilemma of Canadian Employers
If Bill C-17 - decriminalizing marijuana -
becomes law, employers are going to be placed in a terrible
dilemma because, if they suspect an employee of being incapacitated
by his use of the drug during working hours, they will not
be able to dismiss that employee. This is due to the fact
that the Canadian Human Rights Commission has handed down
an opinion, which stated that it was discrimination on the
basis of a "disability" to dismiss an employee for
the excessive use of alcohol or drugs! Even if an employer
tries to get around hiring impaired employees by requiring
a drug test as a condition of employment, the prospective
employee can lay a complaint against the employer with the
Human Rights Commission for this so-called "discriminatory"
practice.
More Canadians Smoking Pot
Meanwhile, a Statistics Canada study, published
in 2002, discloses that marijuana use has doubled in a generation.
According to this study, it is estimated that in 2002, 12.2%
of Canadians admitted smoking marijuana, up from 6.5% in 1989.
In January 2005 a report prepared for Health Canada declared
that Canadian teenagers believe marijuana less harmful than
tobacco because they've heard many more health warnings about
cigarettes and second hand smoke. The teens also thought that
the fact that cigarettes must be bought in stores makes marijuana
more accessible. A recent poll released in November 2004,
indicated that almost 30% of 15 to 17 year olds and 47% of
18 and 19 year olds have used marijuana in the past year.
The reason for this increased use of
marijuana can also be traced directly to the government's
own failure to enforce the current law. Our current drug strategy
calls for a three-pronged, balanced approach to reduce the
demand for drugs, by way of enforcement, prevention
(education), and treatment and rehabilitation. Auditor
General, Sheila Fraser, in her 2001 report, criticized the
government for its "fundamental failure of leadership
and coordination" in implementing this drug strategy.
Canada has also been criticized by the UN International Narcotics
Control Board (INCB) for its violation of the UN's International
Convention on Drugs, which Canada ratified, and which calls
for the imposing and enforcing of sanctions against marijuana
use.
In short, Canada has failed miserably in its
responsibility to enforce the law against marijuana use -
hence, its high rate of usage. It is not compassionate
to allow ready access to marijuana with little heed to the
harmful consequences of its use. There is no doubt that marijuana
use is dangerous both psychologically and physically to individuals.
It is especially harmful for adolescents, when they need their
time, energy and intelligence to lay the foundations of their
future. Marijuana use robs them of this. Moreover, law serves
as a guideline to the conscience. What is legal becomes permissible
for far too many individuals - especially adolescents - and
the failure to enforce the current law results in making marijuana
use more acceptable, and widespread.
The government is blind to these simple facts
and is adding its decision to decriminalize marijuana to its
own failure to properly enforce the law. What a tragedy for
Canada.
Please write to:
The Right Hon. Paul Martin, PC, MP
Prime Minister of Canada
Langevin Building
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Tel: (613) 992-4211
Fax: (613) 941-6900
E-mail: Martin.P@parl.gc.ca
The Hon. Irwin Cotler, PC, MP
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Justice Canada
East Memorial Building,
4th Floor, 284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0H8
Tel: (613) 992-4621
Fax: (613) 990-7255
E-mail: Cotler.I@parl.gc.ca
Your MP
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
objecting to the proposed decriminalization
of marijuana
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