Stop the Violence BC

Municipal leaders call for Clark, Dix and Cummins to support regulating and taxing cannabis April 26, 2012 [Vancouver, BC]—A coalition of B.C. mayors is urging provincial political leaders to support the regulation and taxation of cannabis to better protect communities, reduce crime and undercut gang activity resulting from the illegal marijuana trade. In a letter [...]

John McKay, who prosecuted Vancouver’s Marc Emery, says cannabis prohibition is a threat to public safety on both sides of the border [April 18, 2012, Vancouver, BC]¬¬—A high-profile former United States Attorney with a history of fighting the cross-border marijuana trade is urging Washington State lawmakers and Canadians to regulate and tax marijuana as a [...]

Dr. Perry Kendall of British Columbia and Dr. Robert Strang of Nova Scotia call for evaluation of alternative strategies to reduce unwanted harms incurred by current approach to illicit drugs Vancouver, British Columbia (March 28, 2012): Two Canadian chief provincial medical health officers have highlighted discordance between scientific evidence and drug policy decision‐making, and endorsed [...]

World leaders urge Canada to avoid mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana Virgin Group founder Richard Branson; former Presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Switzerland; and former Federal Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour call Bill C-10 a ‘grave mistake’ former Federal Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour call Bill C-10 a ‘grave mistake’ [Vancouver, BC – February 29, [...]

Former Attorneys General Call on BC Leaders to End Cannabis Prohibition Colin Gabelmann, Ujjal Dosanjh, Graeme Bowbrick and Geoff Plant Say Legalized, Regulated System Will Reduce Gang Activity, Ease Burden on Court System [Vancouver, BC] – Four former British Columbian attorneys general are calling on Premier Christy Clark and NDP opposition leader Adrian Dix to [...]

B.C.’s top public health doctors join call for ending marijuana prohibition Polling results show most British Columbians believe alcohol more harmful than cannabis December 22, 2011 [Vancouver, Canada] – Following Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent rejection of marijuana law reform, Stop the Violence BC has released a new report that audits government funded surveillance systems [...]

Larry Campbell, Michael Harcourt, Sam Sullivan and Philip Owen Endorse Bipartisan Effort to Overturn Prohibition and Reduce Related Crime November 23, 2011 [Vancouver, Canada] – Four former Vancouver mayors have endorsed the Stop the Violence BC (STVBC) coalition and its call to overturn marijuana prohibition and reduce the harms associated with the illegal marijuana trade, [...]

New Polls Shows 87% of British Columbians Link Gang Violence to Organized Crime’s Control of Marijuana Trade October 27, 2011 [Vancouver, Canada] – In the wake of high-profile gang violence related to the illegal marijuana industry in BC, a new coalition of academic, legal and health experts has released the first of a series of [...]