[Kory Yamashita]

Do we believe in the drug laws?<br /> <br /> Sort of. We are inundated with the anti-drug propaganda from the US. Even so, the population is split about 50-50 on marijuana legalisation. And that's WITH the knowledge that it would lead to some sort of sanctions from the US. <br /> <br /> Why does Canada persist in supporting futile and pointless drug laws?<br /> <br /> Because no Prime Minister wants to feel the wrath of the corporate elite when the US clamps down on the borders, costing exporters a portion of their profits. I guess the real question here is: who does our government represent: the people or the corporations that want us to cozy up to the US?<br /> <br /> "I fail to see where criminal sanctions against any drug is of any benefit to Canadian society."<br /> <br /> Once you've sold your country, it's in your benefit to please your new owners...

[Dino]

[QUOTE BY= Kory Yamashita] Do we believe in the drug laws?<br /> <br /> Sort of. We are inundated with the anti-drug propaganda from the US. Even so, the population is split about 50-50 on marijuana legalisation. And that's WITH the knowledge that it would lead to some sort of sanctions from the US. [/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> I bet we could get marijuana legalized if the NDP were in power. The "war on drugs" in the united states is awful.It just throws people in jail from having weed on them. There are days I wish Canada wasn't neighbors with the United States so that we could make independent decisions without fearing the beast down south. I bet it would be like 70% in favor of legalizing pot if we weren't neighbors with another country.<br /> <br /> Marijuana should be made legal. Right now the federal government spends 50 million on fighting drugs. Imagine if they taxed it and gave that money to the police officers to create more police officers dedicated to keeing the real drugs off the streets and people who like to smoke pot could continue to smoke it. So many billions of dollars we are missing out on. We have idiots in charge of this country it's time to put in the NDP! <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/wink.gif' alt='Wink'>

[Milton]

Yes, remove the drug penal code laws from the books.

[Guest]

Iraq police die every day enforcing USA policy!<br /> <br /> Now Canadian Police die enforcing USA policy.<br /> <br /> Pot does kill, opps , the legislation kills.<br /> <br /> Grow op penalties had nothing to do with this incident, and the media and other police agencies whom use missinformation on this incident to get unrelated powers , are acting in bad faith towards their fallen members.<br /> <br /> Dennis Baker<br /> <br />

[Marcarc]

It's a bit of a blanket statement to just 'blame the US', if our political leaders just don't have the balls, well, that just says it all. However, keep in mind that it's also a problem with our political structure, while Ontario and BC were first to make some move that forced the federal government's hand, it is still virtually impossible for citizen's to force any action on such matters, so polls are pretty useless.<br /> My point is that what we hear about the 'US' being hard on drugs is just tokenism, there are states within the US that have more liberal pot laws than canada, and even within many states counties will have different laws. So where you have a county in Nevada that will legalize prostitution and marijuana, you will have completely different laws one state over where the constituents feel differently about drugs and prostitution. In Canada, we are literally a mini empire when it comes to such laws and the governments that are closest to the people have no authority whatsoever on the criminal code. Some people may say that that's a good thing, it keeps things 'uniform', but as we see lately, it is provinces breaking stride that has forced the federal government to even LOOK at most national issues. <br /> Unfortunately, this recent act will only make police once more as violent as they used to be when apprehending pot growers. There were simply horrible stories of persecution for the most banal of crimes. This literally is a rehash of the prohibition days. Marijuana has to come from somewhere, we should be proud that this is 'homegrown'.

[whelan costen]

I've been thinking about this issue and all the polls out there now, asking us if pot laws or gun laws are the problem or if the police should have more power...seems to me someone is being very opportunist. We have a huge tragedy and loss of life, which will no doubt require inquiries for months to come. The reports coming out indicate that this individual had weapons, booby trapped property, stolen property, was a sexual predator and basicly thought he could do whatever he wanted and hold the general public in contempt. Apparently the RCMP knew the danger this man posed to them and the public, so the question is why wasn't he dealt with in a different manner. This is not your average law abiding citizen, nor is it a simple marijuana grow op.<br /> <br /> The previous post about prohibition rings a bell with me; prohibition opened the door to all kinds of other illegal activities, including gun running, prostitution and gambling. If pot was legal, controlled, taxed and accessible to people who choose to use it, then we wouldn't have the shady back street deals, which connect people, especially the young, to the criminal element. The real problems in drugs are the meth labs, the heroin and crack cocaine which is destroying our youth. The police need to be able to spend their resources dealing with that, but if joe public can get sucked into believing stronger gun laws are needed, or stronger drug enforcement on marijuana is the answer and somehow would have prevented this tragedy,then it will address the other agenda, which IMO is controlling the masses.<br /> <br /> I also agree with the statement that it has very little to do with whether the US has stronger drug laws, because you can see that they have serious drug problems in the US and they aren't dealing with it very well. There is big money in the illegal drug business and that is the root of the situation. But this guy in Alberta is a red herring, he is an isolated incident that had as complicated a situation as you can get and it can't be simplified by the suggestions the media is throwing out.

[Guest]

The simple answers thrown out by the media are just that simplistic and in now way deals with anything but a few second sound bite.<br /> <br /> The acceptance of corruption is the fundamental basic issue, which they are not willing to deal with.<br /> <br /> Lets face it, if the resources to POT were redirected to the chemical and biological attack presently being waged against the Canadian citizen, we would have a better society.<br /> <br /> Chemical and Biological attack (Hastings and Main)<br /> and it aint home grown.<br /> <br /> Dennis Baker

[KevinGagnon]

<p>If tobacco and alcohol are on the market so should marijuana. Tobacco and alcohol no matter which way you consume them, are harmful to your body. Marijuana inhaled through a vaporizer, has research to prove it has absolutely no health risk. In fact research shows more health benefits then risk. An article in the Scientific American magazine, it talked about marijuana having a natural substance which is also found inside the human brain. <br /> <br /> <p>Here are some readings for you all. Oddly enough allot of the research is coming out of the U.S. Not Canada.<br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0008F53F-80F7-119B-80F783414B7F0000"><b>The Brain's Own Marijuana</b><i> <br /> Research into natural chemicals that mimic marijuana's effects in the brain could help to explain--and suggest treatments for--pain, anxiety, eating disorders, phobias and other conditions <br /> By Roger A. Nicoll and Bradley N. Alger</i></a> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000EA0BF-1BE4-1121-927783414B7F4945"><b>Marijuana Extract Fights Brain Cancer in Mice</b><br><i>The current debate over medical marijuana hinges on its use as pain medication. But an extract of the plant could one day form the basis of cancer treatments. New findings indicate that Cannabis extracts can shrink brain tumors by blocking the growth of blood vessels that nourish them. </i></a><br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000A844E-8FBE-119B-8EA483414B7FFE9F"><b>Marijuana Research <br /> Current restrictions on marijuana research are absurd</b><br><i>The human brain naturally produces and processes compounds closely related to those found in Cannabis sativa, better known as marijuana [see "The Brain's Own Marijuana," by Roger A. Nicoll and Bradley E. Alger. These compounds are called endogenous cannabinoids or endocannabinoids. As the journal Nature Medicine put it in 2003, "the endocannabinoid system has an important role in nearly every paradigm of pain, in memory, in neurodegeneration and in inflammation." The journal goes on to note that cannabinoids' "clinical potential is enormous." That potential may include treatments for pain, nerve injury, the nausea associated with chemotherapy, the wasting related to AIDS and more. </i></a> <br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/history/zeese.bhtml"><b>Research Findings on Medicinal Properties of Marijuana</b><br><i>With the passage of initiatives in California and Arizona the debate about the medical utility of marijuana is in the spotlight once again. On December 30, 1996, the federal government announced that it intends to use their authority to stop doctors from recommending or prescribing marijuana to their patients and is planning a public relations campaign to demonstrate marijuana has no medical value.</i></a><br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://www.drugtext.org/sub/marmyt1.html"><b>MARIJUANA MYTHS</b></a><br /> <br /> <br /> <p>Kevin<br /> <br />

[michou]

Marijuana did not kill those four young men, an armed man with a violent past did. <br /> <br /> Marijuana does not attract violence. Prohibition and criminality does. <br />

[KevinGagnon]

michou,<br /> <br /> Most will understand that, however, some will attack marijuana for this tragedy. Those men are victims of the laws that put them in that danger.<br /> <br /> Kevin

[michou]

[QUOTE BY= KevinGagnon] michou,<br /> <br /> Most will understand that, however, some will attack marijuana for this tragedy. Those men are victims of the laws that put them in that danger.<br /> [/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> They will ? They are ?

[Guest]

Victims of laws that put them in danger, no , they knew whom they were up against(or at least the superior officers knew), the Pot law, was the conveniant excuss to initiate the confrontation.<br /> <br /> The reasons they were there are somewhat unsubstantiated , as the media indicated the warrant was not signed. Therefore one would suggest they were there illegally?<br /> <br /> Dennis Baker <br /> <br />

[KevinGagnon]

<br /> """ They will ? They are ? """<br /> <br /> Not sure exactly what your asking. If your referring to the "some will attack marijuana". I mean the right wing who oppose decriminalization of marijuana.<br /> <br /> Kevin

[michou]

Kevin, <br /> <br /> I was just pulling your leg.

[Guest]

Kevin they already have <br /> CHBC has gone off the wall, with grow ops,<br /> indicating the problem is people with criminal records.<br /> <br /> Dennis Baker