Four former Vancouver mayors call for end to "failed policy" of marijuana prohibition

The following letter was released today (November 23) by the Stop the Violence B.C. coalition:

From: Sam Sullivan, Michael Harcourt, Larry Campbell, and Philip Owen

To: All B.C. MPs, MLAs, Mayors and Councillors

Re: Call to Action – Marijuana prohibition and its effects on violent crime, community safety, and the health and well-being of our citizens

As former Mayors of the City of Vancouver, we are asking all elected leaders in British Columbia to speak out about the ineffectiveness and harms of cannabis prohibition.

Marijuana prohibition is – without question – a failed policy. It is creating violent, gang-related crime in our communities and fear among our citizens, and adding financial costs for all levels of government at a time when we can least afford them. Politicians cannot ignore the status quo any longer; they must develop and deliver alternative marijuana policies that avoid the social and criminal harms that stem directly from cannabis prohibition.

Among the most pressing issues is the contribution that cannabis prohibition has made to organized crime and gang violence. The Fraser Institute has estimated that B.C.’s illegal cannabis trade may be worth up to $7 billion dollars annually. This massive illegal market drives violence in communities throughout the province. New thinking, new policies and collaboration across party lines are required to protect our communities and make them safer.

Unfortunately, research and practical experience from Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere clearly demonstrates that increasing anti-cannabis law enforcement strategies will not reduce the availability to young people. Cannabis prohibition has failed globally. While we fully recognize that marijuana is not without health-related harms, the failure of cannabis prohibition to reduce the availability of the drug to young people requires an urgent and novel response.

We agree with the Stop the Violence BC coalition and the criminologists, economists, lawyers, law enforcement and public health experts under its umbrella: we must move from a violent unregulated market to a strictly regulated cannabis market that is based on a public health framework. We believe a legally regulated market for adult cannabis use has the potential to reduce rates of cannabis use while at the same time directly addressing organized crime concerns by starving them of this cash cow. A regulated market would enable governments to improve community health and safety while at the same time raising millions in tax revenue.

The time for action is now. A recent Angus Reid poll demonstrated that 69% of British Columbians believe that chasing and arresting marijuana producers and sellers is ineffective and that British Columbians would be better off taxing and regulating the adult use of marijuana. We fully agree.

Clearly, elected officials are out of step with their public on marijuana prohibition. It is time that elected officials enter the debate and deliver specific proposals to address the easy availability of cannabis to youth and the organized crime concerns stemming directly from cannabis prohibition.

If you agree, please step forward, join this call for change and add your influential voice to the debate. In addition, we encourage you to notify Stop the Violence BC of your endorsement so that they may profile your support and adjust their education efforts accordingly.

If you disagree, there is nevertheless an ethical and moral obligation to join the debate, because the stakes for our communities, our youth and our fellow British Columbians are so high.

Politicians of all stripes – not just at the federal level – must respond before further damage is done to our B.C. communities. We must break the silence on this issue. The status quo must change.

Signed,

Sam Sullivan, Mayor of Vancouver, 2005-2008

Larry Campbell, Mayor of Vancouver, 2002-2005

Philip Owen, Mayor of Vancouver, 1993-2002

Mike Harcourt, Mayor of Vancouver, 1980-1986

Comments

19 Comments

NoLeftNutter

Nov 23, 2011 at 3:32pm

These guys must be on Crack. There's 4 simple reasons why legalizing pot won't have the affect they desire. Potency, prices and potency, the illegal trade and expanded use hiding more illegal trade. If you're not bright enough to figure these out you don't need to get stupider by smoking more pot...

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Gentleman Jack

Nov 23, 2011 at 4:21pm

Yes, NoLeftNutter, just like how re-legalizing alcohol made things worse!

So, are you on the payroll as a DrugCop, or do you have a basement grow, or are you simply a bit...slow?

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Michael Brockington

Nov 23, 2011 at 5:45pm

Which former mayor (1986-1993) is missing from this list?
<P>
Hint: drug of choice is not marijuana.

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Rick in Richmond

Nov 23, 2011 at 5:46pm

Here's the problem. If we legalize marijuana, half the drug dealers in the DTES will go broke. All of their clients will be unhappy. The 100 block East Hastings would be empty.

If that change really happened, the applecart would really be upended and the DTES would stop being a special trading zone for addicts and the activists who enable them.

Bad plan, mayors. The DTES is operated as a permanent ghetto by the people who benefit from keeping it as it is. You know, drug dealers, whores, activists. The usual crew.

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GZLFB

Nov 23, 2011 at 7:42pm

I think they should ban state liquor stores and sin taxes and fully legalize the currently "legal" regulated crap and stop forcing drugs on psych cases before talking about new legalizations. Mass production should not be encouraged, but a single personal weed (the growing part) and an amount that can be argued as planted and offer reasonable doubt should be ordered ignored by the cops.

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Komodo

Nov 23, 2011 at 10:13pm

re: Rick in Richmond

You realize at least half the pot dealers in Vancouver are high school kids, right? I don't think its a bad thing for them to go broke and focus on other things, like getting an education.

Also you realize the addicts you speak of are on cocaine and heroin..... not marijuna, right?

Also... leave whores and activists out of it you fucking douche.

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cherrie

Nov 23, 2011 at 10:58pm

clearly, more than a few people here weren't intelligent enough to catch Rick in Richmond's drift.

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Rick in Richmond

Nov 23, 2011 at 11:49pm

re: Komodo Dragon

You don't seem to have very much sympathy for drug dealers. You don;t even care if they all go bankrupt. They supply half the $ that goes into the DTES. They keep that area in the beautiful state it's in. Without the drug dealers, what would the runners and enforcers and slumlords and activists do for a living?

Holy Kow Komodo. You want the DTES to change?

That's not fair. The DTES runs the way it does because the drug dealers like it that way. 947 drug dealers in 12 city blocks can't be wrong.

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miguel

Nov 24, 2011 at 8:23am

The "War On Drugs" is too big to fail, and drug dealing is pure capitalism, and you can't rob entrepreneurs of their livelihood.
Miguel

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what are you guys dopes

Nov 24, 2011 at 2:50pm

People aren' buying pot off the street its perscription drugs, crack, speed balls and meth etcwhich is no problem to get.
You would be hard pressed to find anything to smoke or cookies to eat when it come to the medical plant especially on the street but medical outlets are now open for many who used to buy off the streets.

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