REPORT OF THE SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ILLEGAL DRUGS
CANNABIS :
OUR POSITION FOR A CANADIAN PUBLIC POLICY
http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenRep.asp?Language=E&parl=37&Ses=1&comm_id=85or the short version
http://senatereport.ca/Just a few part paragraghs listed below
Le Dain thirty years ago already
Thirty years ago, the Le Dain Commission released its report on cannabis. This Commission had far greater resources than we did. However, we had the benefit of Le Dain’s work, a much more highly developed knowledge base since then and of thirty years' historical perspective.
The Commission concluded that the criminalization of cannabis had no scientific basis. Thirty years later, we confirm this conclusion and add that continued criminalization of cannabis remains unjustified based on scientific data on the danger it poses.
Public policy based on guiding principles
However much we might wish good health and happiness for everyone, we all know how fragile they are. Above all, we realize that health and happiness cannot be forced on a person, especially not by criminal law based on a specific concept of what is morally ‘right’. No matter how attractive calls for a drug-free society might be, and even if some people might want others to stop smoking, drinking alcohol, or smoking joints, we all realize that these activities are part of our social reality and the history of humankind.
A regulatory approach to cannabis
The prohibition of cannabis does not bring about the desired reduction in cannabis consumption or problematic use. However, this approach does have a whole series of harmful consequences. Users are marginalized, and over 20,000 Canadians are arrested each year for cannabis possession. Young people in schools no longer enjoy the same constitutional and civil protection of their rights as others. Organized crime benefits from prohibition and the criminalization of cannabis enhances their power and wealth. Society will never be able to stamp out drug use – particularly cannabis use.
Some might believe that an alternative policy signifies abandoning ship and giving up on promoting well-being for Canadians. Others might maintain that a regulatory approach would fly in the face of the fundamental values of our society. We believe, however, that the continued prohibition of cannabis jeopardizes the health and well-being of Canadians much more than does the substance itself or the regulated marketing of the substance. In addition, we believe that the continued criminalization of cannabis undermines the fundamental values set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and confirmed in the history of a country based on diversity and tolerance.
Prevention
1. Prevention is not designed to control but rather to empower individuals to make informed decisions and acquire tools to avoid at-risk behaviour;
2. A national drug strategy should include a strong prevention component;
3. Prevention strategies must be able to take into account contemporary knowledge about drugs;
4. Prevention messages must be credible, verifiable and neutral;
5. Prevention strategies must be comprehensive, cover many different factors and involve the community;
6. Prevention strategies in schools should not be led by police services or delivered by police officers;
7. The RCMP should reconsider its choice of the DARE program that many evaluation studies have shown to be ineffective;
8. Prevention strategies must include comprehensive evaluation of a number of key elements;
9. A national drug strategy should include mechanisms for widely disseminating the results of research and evaluations;
10. Evaluations must avoid reductionism, involve stakeholders in prevention, be part of the program, and include longitudinal impact assessment;
11. Harm reduction strategies related to cannabis should be developed in coordination with educators and the social services sector; and
12. Harm reduction strategies related to cannabis should include information on the risks associated with heavy chronic use, tools for detecting at-risk and heavy users and measures to discourage people from driving under the influence of marijuana.
