420 Warrior
Well-Known Member
Increased funding for anti-marijuana law enforcement in both Canada and the United States has failed to decrease marijuana supply, potency and use, a new report suggests.
The report entitled How Not to Protect Community Health and Safety: What the Government's Own Data Say About the Effects of Cannabis Prohibition, released by Stop the Violence BC, uses 20 years of data collected by the Canadian and U.S. governments.
"It's an audit of the governments' own data and what it shows ... is that cannabis prohibition has been a spectacular failure, despite pretty astronomical increases in funding for anti-marijuana law enforcement," said Dr. Evan Wood, a physician and founder of Stop the Violence BC, a coalition of prominent police officers, health professionals, legal experts and academics.
The report shows that in Canada at least $260 million in government funding has been given to the National Anti-Drug Strategy since 2007, with the majority allocated toward anti-drug law efforts.
Canada has also seen a 70 per cent increase in arrests for cannabis-related offences, up to 65,000 in 2009 from 39,000 in 1990.
Despite the hike in funding and arrests, Wood points out the current system fuels gang warfare and youth in B.C. still have easier access to pot than cigarettes or alcohol.
The 2009 Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey reported that 27 per cent of B.C. youth aged 15-24 used cannabis at least once the previous year. Meanwhile, the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey showed high schoolers' cannabis use doubled to more than 20 per cent in 2009 from less than 10 per cent in 1991.
The coalition also released a survey Wednesday showing a majority of British Columbians believe alcohol is more harmful than cannabis.
According to the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, federal anti-drug expenditures saw a 600 per cent increase to more than $18 billion in 2002 from $1.5 billion in 1981. But during the same period, cannabis potency increased by 145 per cent and its price decreased by 58 per cent.
"By every metric this policy has been a failure," Wood said, adding the Health Officers' Council of B.C. has endorsed the coalition's call for ending marijuana prohibition.
"Having every medical health officer from every region in B.C. agreeing that taxation and regulation under a public-health framework is the way forward really puts the pressure on politicians to justify the maintenance of the status quo," he added.
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC)
Author: Phylicia Torrevillaas
Contact: Metro - Vancouver : Contact Us
Copyright: 2011 Metro Canada
Website: Metro - Vancouver : Home
The report entitled How Not to Protect Community Health and Safety: What the Government's Own Data Say About the Effects of Cannabis Prohibition, released by Stop the Violence BC, uses 20 years of data collected by the Canadian and U.S. governments.
"It's an audit of the governments' own data and what it shows ... is that cannabis prohibition has been a spectacular failure, despite pretty astronomical increases in funding for anti-marijuana law enforcement," said Dr. Evan Wood, a physician and founder of Stop the Violence BC, a coalition of prominent police officers, health professionals, legal experts and academics.
The report shows that in Canada at least $260 million in government funding has been given to the National Anti-Drug Strategy since 2007, with the majority allocated toward anti-drug law efforts.
Canada has also seen a 70 per cent increase in arrests for cannabis-related offences, up to 65,000 in 2009 from 39,000 in 1990.
Despite the hike in funding and arrests, Wood points out the current system fuels gang warfare and youth in B.C. still have easier access to pot than cigarettes or alcohol.
The 2009 Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey reported that 27 per cent of B.C. youth aged 15-24 used cannabis at least once the previous year. Meanwhile, the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey showed high schoolers' cannabis use doubled to more than 20 per cent in 2009 from less than 10 per cent in 1991.
The coalition also released a survey Wednesday showing a majority of British Columbians believe alcohol is more harmful than cannabis.
According to the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, federal anti-drug expenditures saw a 600 per cent increase to more than $18 billion in 2002 from $1.5 billion in 1981. But during the same period, cannabis potency increased by 145 per cent and its price decreased by 58 per cent.
"By every metric this policy has been a failure," Wood said, adding the Health Officers' Council of B.C. has endorsed the coalition's call for ending marijuana prohibition.
"Having every medical health officer from every region in B.C. agreeing that taxation and regulation under a public-health framework is the way forward really puts the pressure on politicians to justify the maintenance of the status quo," he added.
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC)
Author: Phylicia Torrevillaas
Contact: Metro - Vancouver : Contact Us
Copyright: 2011 Metro Canada
Website: Metro - Vancouver : Home
