Monthly Archives: September 2012

News coverage of the UBCM Convention’s vote on cannabis policy reform

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Here is a summary of media coverage pre-UBCM:

  • CBC On the Island interview with coalition member Geoff Plant
  • AM770’s The Rutherford Show interview with coalition member Chris Fibiger
  • Victoria Times Colonist article: “Changes to marijuana law moves closer”
  • The Province article: “Cannabis laws back on agenda”; also appears in Victoria Times Colonist
  • Nelson Star article: Pipelines and pot on table as Nelson goes to UBCM”
  • Victoria Times Colonist article: “Disclosure wanted on medical marijuana”
  • Canadian Press article re: Monday’s debate Dr. Evan Wood, former Attorney General Geoff Plant, and BC Constable David Bratzer: “BC marijuana laws: Pro, Anti-pot forces square off at UBCM”; also appears in Canada.com, Huffington Post, Global News, iPolitics, Kamloops News, Guelph Mercury, Waterloo Region Record

News following Monday’s debate included:

  • Broadcast stories on CFAX, CTV Victoria, CHEK News, OMNI TV, CFTK
  • Vancouver Sun article: “Municipal leaders take pot decriminalization to a vote”
  • Kamloops Daily News article: “Marijuana rules aimed at municipalities”
  • Prince George Citizen: “Politicians begin pot debate”
  • Castanet.com article: “Decriminalizing marijuana?”
  • The Province brief: “Morning brief”
  • Keremeos Review article: “UBCM kicks off with debate on marijuana”
  • Victoria Times Colonist op-ed by coalition members Evan Wood and Geoff Plant: “Decriminalization of pot will disarm gangs”

And finally, a rundown of coverage following Wednesday’s vote:

  • Vancouver Sun front page story: “BC mayors vote to decriminalize pot: that was the easy part”; story also appears in Windsor Star, Calgary Herald, Times Colonist
  • Metro article front page article: “Mayors vote pro-pot”
  • CTV Morning Live Thursday (broadcast across BC) interview with Dr. Evan Wood
  • CBC’s The Current (broadcast nationally across CBC radio one) live interview with Dr. Evan Wood
  • The Globe & Mail article: “BC municipal leaders vote to work toward decriminalizing marijuana”; story also appears in The Province, Canada.com, Calgary Herald, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
  • Victoria Times Colonist column: “Pot resolution sets BC on a new path”
  • CBC News article: “Adrian Dix delivers key address to municipal leaders”
  • Metro News article: “Emery high on UBCM marijuana motion”
  • Nelson Daily article: “Vote for decriminalization of pot splits delegates at UBCM convention”
  • Kelowna Daily Courier article: “Pot vote passes, but Valley politicians say ‘no'”
For more information about the UBCM Convention vote, debate, and responses since please click here.

Miss the UBCM debate? Here are three ways to catch up

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1. Notes from Twitter

We were live tweeting the debate (i.e., posting quotes from the debate on Twitter in real time) for people following along elsewhere. For an overview of the speakers’ remarks and public response, click here.

2. Reflections from Geoff Plant

Former Attorney General and
STVBC Coaltion Member Geoff Plant spoke on behalf of the Stop the Violence Coalition and took some time after the fact to summarize his thoughts about marijuana decriminalization vs. regulation, hisopponents remarks, and what Resolution A5 means for BC. Click here to be taken to his blog.

3. Context from the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

dThe Canadian Drug Policy Coalition was in attendance on Monday and watched closely as the weeks events progressed. For their perspective on the debate and policy discussion more broadly click here.

UBCM passes resolution to decriminalize cannabis, study regulation and taxation

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B.C.’s mayors and councilors recognize that marijuana prohibition fuels organized crime

Vancouver, BC [September 26, 2012]—The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) voted today in favour of a resolution calling for the decriminalization of cannabis at its annual convention.

Resolution A5, brought forward to the annual convention by the municipality of Metchosin, calls for UBCM to lobby the appropriate level of government to decriminalize cannabis and research its regulation and taxation.

“For too long our communities have borne the brunt of the harmful consequences of cannabis prohibition, from increased gang violence on our streets to enormous costs of enforcing a thoroughly discredited policy,” said Metchosin mayor John Ranns. “This vote result signals that it is time for our senior levels of government to listen to what the public and now our municipal leaders are saying: cannabis prohibition has been a failure.”

With the passing of the resolution, UBCM joins a growing chorus of high profile British Columbians calling for the end to cannabis prohibition, including eight current B.C. mayors, the Health Officers Council of B.C., four former mayors of Vancouver, and four former B.C. attorneys general.

“Today’s vote to support the decriminalization of cannabis and research its regulation and taxation reflects our commitment as municipal leaders to fiscal discipline and community health and safety,” said City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto, whose council passed a motion supporting the regulation of cannabis this past April. “Easy access to cannabis for our youth, grow-ops that fuel organized crime in our communities and the growing costs of enforcing failed marijuana policies are ample reason to re-examine cannabis prohibition.”

The vote followed a marijuana decriminalization debate that opened the UBCM convention on Monday. Among those speaking was Dr. Evan Wood, co-director of the Urban Health Research Initiative at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and founder of Stop the Violence BC, a coalition of academic, legal, law enforcement and health experts campaigning to reform cannabis laws to reduce the harms associated with the illegal cannabis trade, including gang violence.

“Prohibition has not achieved its stated objectives to reduce the demand for and supply of cannabis. Instead, current laws have resulted in negative social and economic consequences at the municipal and provincial level,” said Dr. Wood. “I commend our municipal representatives for showing leadership in taking steps towards changing a policy that has clearly failed to protect the health and safety of our communities.”

Dr. Wood added that the call to research the regulation and taxation of cannabis is a key part of the UBCM resolution.

“We believe that deregulation is only the first step in working towards a strictly regulated, taxed market for adult marijuana use,” he said. “Research to date indicates that a system of strict regulation will best impede the illegal market for marijuana and combat the organized crime gangs that profit from it.”

– 30 –

About Stop the Violence BC
Stop the Violence BC is a coalition of law enforcement officials, legal experts, public health officials and academic experts from the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria and the University of Northern BC. Coalition members have come together to engage all British Columbians in a discussion aimed at developing and implementing marijuana-related policies that improve public health while reducing social harms, including violent crime.

For a full listing of coalition members and to learn more about the coalition, please click here.

For more information about Stop the Violence BC or to interview a coalition member, please contact:

Kevin Hollett
604-682-2344 ext 66536
778-848-3420
khollett@cfenet.ubc.ca

UBCM resolution on cannabis decriminalization and study of regulation

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On Wednesday, September 27 2012 the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) voted in favour of a resolution calling for the decriminalization of cannabis at its annual convention.

Resolution A5, brought forward to the annual convention by the municipality of Metchosin, calls for UBCM to lobby the appropriate level of government to decriminalize cannabis and research its regulation and taxation. (For more about this motion click here.)

Here is the full text of the resolution:

A5 DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

WHEREAS marijuana prohibition is a failed policy which has cost millions of dollars in police, court, jail and social costs;

AND WHEREAS the decriminalization and regulation of marijuana would provide tax revenues:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM call on the appropriate government to decriminalize marijuana and research the regulation and taxation of marijuana.

ENDORSED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF VANCOUVER ISLAND & COASTAL COMMUNITIES

UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: No Recommendation

UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE COMMENTS: The Resolutions Committee advises that the UBCM membership has not previously considered a resolution requesting the decriminalization of marijuana. The Committee would observe that based on current police information, BC is responsible for 40% of the marijuana produced in Canada, and 80-95% of marijuana produced in BC is exported illegally into the UnitedStates. Based on police information, the marijuana industry in BC is currently operated by criminal gangs who sell or exchange the marijuana produced in BC with criminal gangs in the United States for cocaine and guns.

The membership has considered other resolutions on marijuana, however, these have been focused on ensuring that those licensed to cultivate and process marijuana for medical purposes comply with local government bylaws as well as electrical, fire, health, safety and building regulations.

The Committee notes that a pre-conference session will be held on Monday morning, September 24, 2012 to discuss the decriminalization of marijuana.

Union of BC Municipalities to vote on marijuana decriminalization resolution

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The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), the largest annual gathering of BC mayors and councillors, will be voting on Resolution A5 on Wednesday, September 26. The resolution calls for UBCM to lobby the appropriate government to decriminalize marijuana and research its regulation and taxation.

On Monday, September 24, a debate over the marijuana decriminalization featuring members of the Stop the Violence BC coalition will take place at the convention. Former B.C. attorney general Geoff Plant, Stop the Violence BC founder Dr. Evan Wood and police officer David Bratzer will argue their opposition to marijuana prohibition, and noting its role in fueling gang violence, driving up law enforcement and related costs for municipalities, and failing to protect public safety.

Debate panelists will include:

  • Dr. Evan Wood, Stop the Violence BC, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
  • Geoff Plant, Stop the Violence BC, Lawyer
  • Constable David Bratzer, Stop the Violence BC, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
  • Dr. Darryl Plecas, University of Fraser Valley
  • Dave Williams, Drug Enforcement Branch, RCMP “E” Division
  • Pat Slack, Commander, Snohomosh County Drug Task Force, Washington State

The debate will take place from 9:00am to 12:00pm, at the Victoria Convention Centre (720 Douglas St.), Saanich Room, Level 1.

Below is the full text of Resolution A5.

Join us on Facebook and Twitter to be the first to hear the result of next Wednesday’s big vote.

 

A5 DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

WHEREAS marijuana prohibition is a failed policy which has cost millions of dollars in police, court, jail and social costs;

AND WHEREAS the decriminalization and regulation of marijuana would provide tax revenues:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM call on the appropriate government to decriminalize marijuana and research the regulation and taxation of marijuana.

ENDORSED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF VANCOUVER ISLAND & COASTAL COMMUNITIES

UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: No Recommendation

UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE COMMENTS: The Resolutions Committee advises that the UBCM membership has not previously considered a resolution requesting the decriminalization of marijuana. The Committee would observe that based on current police information, BC is responsible for 40% of the marijuana produced in Canada, and 80-95% of marijuana produced in BC is exported illegally into the UnitedStates. Based on police information, the marijuana industry in BC is currently operated by criminal gangs who sell or exchange the marijuana produced in BC with criminal gangs in the United States for cocaine and guns.

The membership has considered other resolutions on marijuana, however, these have been focused on ensuring that those licensed to cultivate and process marijuana for medical purposes comply with local government bylaws as well as electrical, fire, health, safety and building regulations.

The Committee notes that a pre-conference session will be held on Monday morning, September 24, 2012 to discuss the decriminalization of marijuana.