Why is Canada Copying US Failure?

My name is Michael Krahn and I live in Gimli, Manitoba. I am writing you today to ask your view on the issue of Marc Emery (Prince of Pot) VS. Canada and the US. I wonder if you share the same spineless view as Stephen Harper and the Conservative’s as they cower to the US which is putting pressure on Canada to send a Canadian to be tried and convicted in the US. Do you believe that the US has a right to come into our country and tell us what to do? I don’t get it, are we Canadian or American? It shocks me to see our Canadian government JUMP every time the US talks about Canadian pot entering the US, while guns enter Canada from the US at a steady pace. Marijuana is definitely NOT comparable to a weapon designed for destruction, furthermore, what about all the criminals, pedophiles and sexual offenders that flee the US and end up in Canada? What about all the cocaine, crack, meth, heroin, and prescription drugs that come from the US? Why are these all secondary when it comes to pot? Stephen Harper is no different from J. Edgar Hoover, who back in the 40’s ranted and raved that marijuana is evil. Everything evolves and so most these old school Draconian pot laws.
For 25 years Marc Emery has been selling seeds all around the world and for 25 years our government and authorities did not consider Marc Emery to be any type of threat UNTIL the Yankees came along. Why is it that all of a sudden they have the right to walk in and tell us what to do? There is no victim here yet, but if the US is allowed to bully their will upon us (as they do everywhere in the World) they will lock this man up forever. It is common knowledge that the US wants Marc Emery because he is an activist rather than a criminal; speaking out against prohibition and being heard by multitudes of people.
If our government allows the US to do what they want, then the next step will be to start arresting people that speak out against war, the government, or anything that goes against the US administration!
Below I have posted a letter written by Larry Campbell and it seems to me that if even one person in law enforcement or the government believes that pot laws need to be changed, then it should most definitely be debated. We live in a “democracy”, which is supposed to mean that the values of the government should reflect the values of the people: and they DON’T. So please Mr. Chomiak, as Canadian’s we need to stand up for ourselves, stop being bullied by the US and make Canada a leader on the world stage once again; rather than a recurring joke as we have already accomplished concerning many issues such as the environment.
If our government does not stand up and help Marc Emery I am personally going to start flying an American flag over my Canadian flag and I will also encourage everyone I know to do so as well because as long as our government allows another government to walk in and start policing at will, we might as well conform completely. “I am Canadian…no American…which is it?

Sincerely,

Michael Krahn


Why is Canada Copying US Failure?
by Canadian Senator Larry Campbell (09 Jan, 2008)
The Harper government's U.S.-style tough line on drugs benefits no one but criminals and their syndicates


Is there really anyone anywhere in Canada who believes that U.S. drug policies are working? Or that they are deserving of being copied here? This is the direction Prime Minister Stephen Harper would have us go. More prisons and more people in prisons has not worked for our southern neighbours, and there is no logic behind the move to increase criminal penalties for drugs. In fact, logic dictates that we move away from criminalization and focus instead on a policy that emphasizes medical intervention for those Canadians who abuse drugs.

What about our teens? In the pique of a rebellious phase they grow a few plants, get arrested and end up getting their higher education in prison rather then university. And the burden of a criminal record makes them pariahs in the job market. Can we afford -- either financially or socially -- to emulate a system that has created in the U.S. the most incarcerated population on Earth? Or should we continue to distinguish ourselves from our neighbour by continuing to exhibit humane and socially profitable measures that make our citizens some of the healthiest and most compassionate people on the planet?

This Conservative government refuses to look at the science, or even the simple facts. Minimum sentences for non-violent offenders may play well with a hang 'em high crowd, but it will do nothing to solve drug problems in this country. The Conservatives have spread their "big lie" for so long that they have begun to believe it, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

We should be putting our efforts into increased treatment for addiction, education and increased medical treatment for those with mental disabilities. We should also legalize marijuana in this country to keep the profits from being funnelled into criminal hands. Did you know that in the U.S. the government produces and distributes about half a pound each month in marijuana cigarettes to medical patients? The Canadian government could produce it like cigarettes, put the derived funds straight into health care and addictions treatment and programs. The pot could be sold in liquor stores where children will not have easy access and the quality can be monitored.

When drugs are produced by regulated industries, they cost a mere fraction of the price of the products produced and marketed by clandestine criminal organizations. By leaving some drugs in the hands of criminals and their syndicates we leave control of the purity, dosage and pricing totally in the wrong hands. Why not take away their motivation for involvement in the drugs trade? Regulated industries all have motivation for legitimacy. They hire working people who live in our communities and spend their income in our stores and shops. We all have an investment in the task of reducing drug harms and that investment is one that can either prove to be profitable, or costly.

Criminals have control of these substances only because we make the drugs illegal. Through legalization we have regulation and we remove the death grip the gangs and cartels have on the drugs black market. If a poll were to be conducted among these drug dealing thugs and gangsters, asking if they prefer prohibition or legalization, prohibition would be the unanimous choice. Legalization runs counter to their needs. It is truly prohibition that continues to line the pockets of those criminals who are the real threats to all our communities. Prohibition is a failure that bears no resemblance to any logical solution to our drug problems. We must end prohibition, not expand it.

Senator Larry W. Campbell is a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), an international, non-profit educational organization made up of current and former members of law enforcement who believe the existing U.S. drug policies have failed.