MLA Joan McIntyre joins Kash Heed, calls for regulation and taxation

– This is not an official Stop the Violence BC Press Release; reprinted with the permission of MLA Joan McIntyre –

BC LIBERAL GOVERNMENT CAUCUS
STATEMENT

For immediate release
October 18, 2012

VICTORIA – Today, West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Joan McIntyre released the following statement in support of Vancouver-Fraserview MLA Kash Heed’s call for the legalization and regulation of marijuana.

“I join my colleague MLA Kash Heed in support of the legalization of marijuana. Like MLA Heed, I believe that ending the prohibition of marijuana will make our communities safer by taking the industry out of the hands of organized crime. Kash Heed and other experts, such as Dr. Julio Montaner and Dr. Evan Wood of the organization, Stop the Violence BC, believe that marijuana prohibition increases gang violence in our province – violence which does not take place in a silo, but rather on the streets of our communities, putting B.C. families at risk.

“Prohibition has required a substantial investment in our police services, and places a heavy financial burden on the taxpayer. I believe, as my colleague Kash Heed does, that it draws police resources and capacity away from other, more pragmatic areas which would make our communities safer.

“In spite of the dedicated efforts of our police in B.C., a war on drugs only serves to drive organized crime further underground; it fails to end the cycle of violence and drug use, but succeeds in draining our coffers.

“I believe we need a paradigm shift from prohibition to one of regulation and taxation, making B.C. safer for us all.”

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Media contact: Mark Knudsen, BC Government Caucus Communications, (250) 356-1539

Kash Heed calls for the regulation and taxation of marijuana

BC MLA speaks out against marijuana prohibition in short film, joins Stop the Violence BC

CLICK HERE FOR THE FILM

Vancouver, BC [October 18, 2012] — Kash Heed, a long-time law enforcement official and MLA, is calling for the legalization and taxation of cannabis to better protect communities and reduce related organized crime activity resulting from the illegal marijuana trade.

In a video and written statement released today, Kash Heed shared his experiences about the devastating consequences of cannabis prohibition, based on his 31 years in law enforcement as a beat cop, a police chief, and head of both the Vancouver Police Department Drug Unit and Indo-Canadian Gang Violence Task Force.

“In the early 1990s, I began to fully recognize the futility and the social, economic and public health costs of continuing marijuana prohibition,” wrote Heed in the statement. “And I came to one inescapable conclusion—cannabis prohibition fuels gang violence in B.C. In fact, costly law enforcement efforts have only served to drive the marijuana industry deeper into the hands of violent organized crime groups.”

In his statement, Heed announced that he is joining Stop the Violence BC (STVBC), a coalition of academic, legal, law enforcement and health experts, and its campaign to reform cannabis laws to reduce the harms associated with the illegal cannabis trade, including gang violence. He joins a growing list of endorsements that includes a coalition of B.C. mayors, the Health Officers Council of B.C., four former mayors of Vancouver and former B.C. attorneys general. His statement follows the passing last month of a Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) resolution calling for the decriminalization of cannabis.

“It shows real political courage that Kash Heed, as a sitting member of a provincial legislature, has decided to speak out against these failed laws,” said Geoff Plant, who served as B.C. attorney general from 2001 to 2005. “It’s time for the rest of our political leaders to follow his lead and act on the overwhelming evidence linking marijuana prohibition to organized crime and gang violence.”

Kash Heed is the MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview. He is urging his current and former colleagues to improve community health and safety by overturning marijuana prohibition.

“I plan to use my remaining time in office to reach out to our provincial leaders and ensure that replacing cannabis prohibition with a more effective public health and safety strategy becomes a part of the public debate in the next provincial election,” said Heed. “Despite the effort to pass the buck to the federal government, this is a provincial issue—organized crime has been fuelled by B.C.’s failed marijuana policies, leading to gang violence, destructive grow-ops and easy access to marijuana for youth in each and every one of our communities.”

The video was produced and directed by Pete McCormack, an award winning filmmaker based in Vancouver.

“Evidence against marijuana prohibition is staggering: police fight impossible odds and the current approach is hypocritical, a tax-paying sinkhole that causes unintentional yet very real collateral damage and violence. And for what?” said McCormack. “To get the chance to interview Kash Heed, who has been right there in it, was inspiring to me as a filmmaker. If this video can influence other politicians’ and inspire contemporary drug policies, that would be amazing.”

  • Media can download the Kash Heed video here.
  • Watch the video here.
  • Read the full Kash Heed statement here.

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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
khollett@cfenet.ubc.ca

UBCM passes resolution to decriminalize cannabis, study regulation and taxation

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.”

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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

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

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.

City of Vancouver Passes Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Motion

On Tuesday, May 1st Vancouver City council unanimously passed a motion supporting Stop the Violence BC and calling for a public health-based, regulatory approach to cannabis taxation and control.

To read the text of the motion click here, or on the image to the right.

Media Coverage:

Menard, B.-S. (12/05/02). Immediate interest in mayors’ letter endorsing decriminalization of marijuana, Lake Country Calendar.
Letter some BC mayors; including James Baker; sent the province. (12/05/02). Lake Country Calendar.
news mention. (12/05/02). AM770.
news mention. (12/05/02). CTV2 Victoria.
news mention. (12/05/02). News1130.
news mention. (12/05/02). 630 CHED Edmonton.
news mention. (12/05/02). CKNW.
news mention. (12/05/02). Q103.1 Kelowna.
news mention. (12/05/02). Global Okanagan.
Morning News – mention. (12/05/02). Global BC.
Luba, F. (12/05/01). Vancouver politicians call for end to pot prohibition, The Province.
Brennan, R. (12/04/30). Tough laws not the answer for BC marijuana problem Vancouver councillor says, Toronto Star.

Media Coverage: Stop the Violence BC Presents John McKay

April 18, 2012 Stop the Violence BC presented former US Attorney John McKay, former BC Attorney General Geoff Plant, coalition member Dr Evan Wood and Jodie Emery for a press conference on the failures of cannabis prohibition and the future of cannabis policy in the Pacific Northwest.

Please see below for listing of media coverage from the event:

Print and Online 

Mulgrew, I. (12/04/20). On marijuana day 4/20, man who jailed Prince of Pot calls for legalization, Calgary Herald.
(Editorial) Reefer madness. (12/04/20). Vancouver Courier.
(Editorial) Reefer madness. (12/04/20). North Shore News.
Vandermeer, J. (12/04/19). Prince of Pot prosecutor John McKay meets with Jodie Emery, calls for marijuana legalization, Cannabis Culture Magazine.
Stueck, W. (12/04/19). Prince of Pot foe favours legalization, Globe and Mail.
Mulgrew, I. (12/04/19). Emery’s prosecutor wants pot legalized, Vancouver Sun.
Mui, M. (12/04/19). Ex Prince of Pot prosecutor now wants to legalize it, Kingston Whig Standard.
Mui, M. (12/04/19). Prince of Pot prosecutor now pro pot, 24 Hours Vancouver.
McKay, J. (12/04/19). (Column) Pot ban fuels cross-border violence, Vancouver Sun.
McKay, J. (12/04/19). (Column) Pot ban fuels cross-border violence, Vancouver Sun.
Gurney, M. (12/04/19). (Column) If you break the law, you go to jail. This isn’t hard, National Post.
Emery, J. (12/04/19). (Column) Victims of the drug war, National Post.
Austin, I. (12/04/19). Prince of Pot Marc Emery’s prosecutor pushes to legalize marijuana, Victoria Times-Colonist.
(Editorial) Reefer madness. (12/04/19). North Shore News.
(12/04/19). Toronto Star.
Change of heart on pot laws. (12/04/19). Castanet.net.
US attorney who jailed Canada’s Prince of Pot calls for legalization. (12/04/19). Prince George Citizen.
Pot Prince prosecutor wants weed legalization. (12/04/19). The Daily Bulletin (Kimberly).
10 provocative quotes about legalization for global pot day. (12/04/19). CBC.
US attorney who jailed Canada’s Prince of Pot calls for legalization. (12/04/19). Toronto Star.
Webb, K. (12/04/18). Marc Emery’s US prosecutor for marijuana regulation and taxation, Metro News Vancouver.
Thomson, S. (12/04/18). Former US prosecutor of Marc Emery condemns pot prohibition in BC, Straight.
Stueck, W. (12/04/18). US prosecutor of Prince of Pot joins campaign to legalize marijuana, Globe and Mail.
Steigerwald, L. (12/04/18). Former US prosecutor who took down Marc Emery calls for legalization, but doesn’t regret prosecution of ‘Prince of Pot’, Reason Magazine.
Mulgrew, I. (12/04/18). Emery’s prosecutor wants pot legalized, Vancouver Sun.
Mui, M. (12/04/18). US attorney who prosecuted pot activist Marc Emery calls for legalization, 24 Hours Vancouver.
US attorney who jailed Canada’s Prince of Pot calls for legalization. (12/04/18). Metro.

US attorney who jailed Canada’s Prince of Pot calls for legalization. (12/04/18). News1130.
US attorney who jailed Canada’s Prince of Pot calls for legalization. (12/04/18). Brandon Sun.
US attorney who jailed Canada’s Prince of Pot calls for legalization. (12/04/18). Winnipeg Free Press.
Prince of Pot prosecutor John McKay calls for marijuana legalization. (12/04/18). Huffington Post.
Bigham, S. (12/04/18). Man who put BC pot activist in jail pushes to legalize it, News1130.
Baziuk, L. (12/04/18). US attorney changes tune on marijuana, CKNW.
Austin, I. (12/04/18). Prince of Pot’s nemesis takes new stand, The Province.
Austin, I. (12/04/18). Prince of Pot Marc Emery’s prosecutor pushes to legalize marijuana, Canada.com.
Marc Emery’s US prosecutor joins Jodie Emery to call for marijuana legalization. (12/04/18). Cannabis Culture Magazine.
Marc Emery’s US prosecutor urges pot legalization. (12/04/18). CBC.

Radio
The Bro Jake Show. (12/04/20). Rock 101.
The Bill Kelly Show. (12/04/20). CHML Hamilton.
Rob Breakenridge Show. (12/04/20). QR77.
(12/04/19). CBC Charlotttown.
(12/04/19). CBC Thunder Bay.
(12/04/19). CBC Calgary.
(12/04/19). CBC Kelowna.
(12/04/19). CBC White Horse.
(12/04/19). News 95.7 (Halifax).
(12/04/19). Rock107 (Belleville).
(12/04/19). 620 CKRM (Regina).
(12/04/19). Q104 (Sault Ste. Marie).
(12/04/19). EZ Rock 100.5 (Sault Ste. Marie).
(12/04/19). CFRA (Ottawa).
(12/04/19). Country 103.9 (Sarnia).
(12/04/19). AM980 (London).
(12/04/19). CIFM (Kamloops).
(12/04/19). Newstalk 610 (St. Catherines).
(12/04/19). CFTK (Terrace).
(12/04/19). Radio NL (Kamloops).
(12/04/19). CJBQ (Belleville).
(12/04/19). CBC Prince George.
(12/04/19). AM1150 (Kelowna).
(12/04/19). CBC Vancouver.
(12/04/19). CKNW.
(12/04/19). CFAX Victoria.
(12/04/18). Fairchild.
(12/04/18). Fairchild.
(12/04/18). CBC Victoria.
(12/04/18). CBC Kelowna.
(12/04/18). CBC Prince George.
(12/04/18). CBC Vancouver.
(12/04/18). Radio NL.
(12/04/18). CFAX Victoria.
(12/04/18). CHML Hamilton.
(12/04/18). CKNW.
(12/04/18). CKNW.
(12/04/18). News1130.
Forsythe, M. (12/04/18). B.C. Almanac, CBC.
Pot Prince prosecutor wants weed legalization. (12/04/18). NewsTalk 980 Regina.
Hopkins, A. (12/04/18). Change of views on legalized pot doesn’t mean change in law, News1130.
McComb, J. (12/04/18). World Today, CKNW.
Quinn, S. (12/04/18). On the Coast, CBC.

Television
(12/04/20). CTV News Channel.
News Hour Final. (12/04/19). Global BC.
(12/04/19). Global Okanagan.
(12/04/19). iNews 880 (Edmonton).
(12/04/19). CTV Two Victoria.
Morning Live. (12/04/19). CTV Vancouver.
Breakfast Television. (12/04/19). CityTV (Vancouver).
(12/04/18). Global Okanagan.
(12/04/18). Global BC.
(12/04/18). CTV Vancouver.
OMNI News. (12/04/18). OMNI BC.
(12/04/18). Global BC.
CBC News. (12/04/18). CBC Vancouver.
National News. (12/04/18). CTV.
Meiszner, P. (12/04/18). US attorney who jailed Canada’s Prince of Pot calls for legalization, Global.
Meiszner, P. (12/04/18). US Attorney who jailed Marc Emery calls for legalization of marijuana, Global BC.
Lindsay, B. (12/04/18). US prosecutor who jailed Emery calls for lega pot, CTV.

B.C. mayors cite gang violence, crime, costs and community health and safety in drive to overturn marijuana prohibition

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 addressed to Premier Christy Clark, Opposition leader Adrian Dix and BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins, mayors representing municipalities from the Interior, Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland asked provincial leaders to embrace a public health framework that calls for strict marijuana regulation and taxation.

“Given the ongoing gang activity, widespread availability of marijuana and high costs associated with enforcement, leaders at all levels of government must take responsibility for marijuana policy,” the mayors write in their letter to B.C.’s three major political party leaders. “We are asking you as provincial leaders to take a new approach to marijuana regulation.”

The letter was sent following several recent motions passed by municipal councils across the province supporting a regulatory approach to cannabis policy. Most recently, City of Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson announced today that a motion for Vancouver City Council to endorse the Stop the Violence BC campaign will be on the council agenda next week.

“This is not a partisan issue,” says Robertson. “Widespread access to marijuana for our youth, grow-ops that provide funds for organized crime, and significant costs to taxpayers for enforcement are all compelling reasons to re-examine our failed approach to prohibition.”

“We see the detrimental effects of marijuana prohibition in our communities on a daily basis,” says Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan. “Huge profits for organized crime and widespread gang violence in our cities are the result of this failed policy. We put our citizens and communities at risk by not taking action now.”

In their letter, the mayors cited say their constituents are ready for a new approach to marijuana policy. They point to an Angus Reid poll showing that a mere 12% of British Columbians support the current approach to controlling marijuana while the vast majority (66%) support taxation and regulation – the position championed by the Stop the Violence BC Coalition – rather than prohibition.

“We stand together as B.C. mayors because we think our communities will be safer and our children better protected from criminal elements if we overturn marijuana prohibition and implement policies that strictly regulate the adult use of cannabis,” says City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto, whose council passed a motion supporting the regulation of cannabis on April 23, 2012.

The mayors have stepped forward in an effort to draw attention to the issues of crime and violence directly related to marijuana prohibition, asking their counterparts across the province to join them.

“We are all well aware of the human, social and financial costs of marijuana prohibition, and it does not make sense to bear them any longer,” says Robert Sawatzky, Mayor of Vernon. “We invite mayors from across B.C. to consider the escalating costs of prohibition, and join our efforts to implement evidence-based cannabis policies that reflect our commitment as municipal leaders to community health and safety.”

In their letter, the mayors’ endorsed Stop the Violence BC (STVBC), 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. The mayors join a growing list of recent high-profile endorsements, including four former mayors of Vancouver, the Health Officers Council of BC and four former B.C. attorneys general.

“As B.C. mayors, we support the Stop the Violence BC campaign,” the letter states. “It is time to tax and strictly regulate marijuana under a public health framework; regulating marijuana would allow the government to rationally address the health concerns of marijuana, raise government tax revenue and eliminate the huge profits from the marijuana industry that flow directly to organized crime.”

Dr. Evan Wood, founder of STVBC, welcomed the mayors’ support and noted the growing movement among municipal politicians to overturn cannabis prohibition. He noted that 75% of the 240 delegates at the annual conference for the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities recently supported a resolution that calls on Ottawa to change its marijuana laws.

“We are seeing community leaders around the province take charge and decisively call for action from senior levels of government to change the status quo regarding marijuana policy,” says Wood. “It is time for our provincial and federal leaders to listen to what the public is saying, engage in discussion, and come to a resolution that better reflects the wishes of their constituents.”

  • For a copy of the letter please click here.
  • To join the STVBC conversation, please visit the STVBC Facebook page
  • Updates on the campaign are publicly available on Twitter
  • To read the coalition’s first two reports, discover more about the coalition and upcoming events, and learn how to support the effort, please visit www.stoptheviolencebc.org

Additional Mayors’ comments:

Armstrong
“The efforts of the Stop the Violence campaign seeks the support of all people to allow for the legal and regulated growth and regulated sale of Marijuana, and support the health agencies in the education and ultimate non-use of this drug.  The education and advertising relating to health concerns of smoking has driven down the use of cigarettes immensely in the past 20 years.” –Chris Pieper, Mayor of Armstrong

Lake Country
“Drug prohibition is a failed policy by any measures used with regard to public health and safety outcomes.  The cost of prohibition continues to rise in terms of criminal activity and associated social costs of enforcement. It is time for senior governments to implement controls, regulation and taxation of all drugs to do away with the violence of the illegal trade.” – James Baker, Mayor of Lake Country

Metchosin
“My council whole heartily agrees that we need to consider alternatives approaches to the current, failed system of cannabis prohibition.” – John Ranns, Mayor of the District of Metchosin

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Media: to interview the mayors, please contact:

James Baker, Mayor of Lake Country
250.766.6670
baker@lakecountry.bc.ca
Chris Pieper, Mayor of Armstrong
250.550.7239
cpieper@telus.net
Derek Corrigan, Mayor of Burnaby
Contact: Maryann Manuel
604-294-7342
maryann.manuel@burnaby.ca
John Ranns, Mayor of District of Metchosin
Contact: Tammie Van Swieten
250.474.3167
tvanswieten@metchosin.ca
Howie Cyr, Mayor of Enderby
250.517.0244
enderbymayor@shaw.ca
Gregor Robertson, Mayor of Vancouver
Contact: Braeden Caley
604.873.7490
braeden.caley@vancouver.ca
Darrell Mussatto, Mayor of City of North Vancouver
Contact: Alison Brookfield
604-998-3280
abrookfield@cnv.org
Robert Sawatsky, Mayor of Vernon
250.550.3508
mayor@vernon.ca

The city councils of four B.C. municipalities have already passed motions in support of STVBC, click here for more information.

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 visit www.stoptheviolencebc.org

For quotes from coalition members, photos and links to downloadable videos of coalition members speaking about the report, please visit www.stoptheviolencebc.org/coalition-members/

To interview Dr. Evan Wood, founder, Stop the Violence BC coalition, or another member of STVBC please contact:

Crystal Reinitz
Edelman
604 623 3007 ext. 301
crystal.reinitz@edelman.com

[button link=”https://stoptheviolencebc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/2012Apr26-STVBC-Mayors-Endorsement-Letter.pdff” color=”orange”]Download the Letter Here[/button]

Former United States Attorney calls on Canada to regulate and tax marijuana

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 strategy to combat organized crime and improve public health and safety.

John McKay, who was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington State by President George W. Bush in 2001, says Canada and the U.S. should reject today’s ineffective and harmful anti-marijuana law enforcement strategies in favour of a regulated public health approach to marijuana control.

McKay, who served as U.S. Attorney until 2007, was the federal prosecutor who obtained indictments of Marc Emery, a B.C.-based marijuana activist who was sentenced to five years in U.S. prison for selling marijuana seeds to U.S. customers in 2010.

“The belief that we support public health and community safety through the enforcement of marijuana laws is misguided and destructive,” says McKay, who spoke at a Stop the Violence BC lecture in Vancouver, Canada today. “Marijuana prohibition in British Columbia and Washington State has fuelled a massive illegal industry that is profitable, exceptionally violent, and a proven threat to public safety and security on both sides of the border.”

McKay’s experience combating cross-border gangs and the drug trade – which sees B.C. marijuana head south in exchange for fire-arms and cocaine that head north – has convinced him to support Washington Initiative 502, which will be on the 2012 statewide ballot. If passed, the initiative will allow for the taxation and regulation of marijuana in Washington State, with revenues earmarked for substance-abuse prevention and education, and healthcare.

McKay joins a growing chorus of law enforcement and health officials – including the Health Officers Council of B.C. – who publicly support the regulation and taxation of marijuana. Recently, a total of eight former Vancouver mayors and provincial attorneys general have spoken in favour of taxation and regulation of marijuana to improve public safety.

“Cannabis prohibition is ineffective, expensive and, without question, contributes to the growth of organized crime,” says Geoff Plant, who served as B.C. attorney general from 2001 to 2005. “Widespread gang violence, easy access to illegal cannabis, significant costs to taxpayers and cross-border organized crime concerns all result from our failed approach to drug policy.”

McKay is adamant that a regulated cannabis market in Canada and/or the U.S. will not affect cross-border commerce and traffic, and calls politically motivated assertions to the contrary misleading.

“Rest assured, the U.S. would not take punitive action against Canada that would hinder billions in cross-border trade if Canadian marijuana laws were reformed,” he said. “Canada and the United States should reform and align marijuana laws. Both federal governments have fallen well behind many U.S. states in terms of enacting progressive marijuana policy reforms.”

Sixteen U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, have passed laws allowing some degree of medical use of marijuana. Fourteen U.S. states have taken steps to decriminalize marijuana possession and 2012 will see ballot initiatives to overturn marijuana prohibition in Washington State and Colorado.

Despite McKay’s connection with prosecuting high-profile cannabis cases, his request to regulate and tax marijuana is welcomed by others making similar calls for changes to Canada’s legislation.

“It’s heartening to see such a diverse cross-section of law enforcement and public health experts come together and agree that an evidence-based approach to marijuana taxation and regulation makes sense at so many levels,” says Jodie Emery, wife of Marc Emery.

“Current policies towards marijuana are unnecessarily punitive, and serve to persecute ordinary citizens and ruin lives by hindering their ability to work and fully contribute to society.”

McKay, Jodie Emery and Geoff Plant have endorsed Stop the Violence BC (STVBC), a coalition of academic, legal, law enforcement and health experts, and its campaign to overturn marijuana prohibition and reduce the harms associated with the illegal marijuana trade, including gang violence. They appeared together on a panel hosted by STVBC on April 18 in Vancouver.

For a full replay of McKay’s lecture and the following media conference with Jodie Emery, please see https://stoptheviolencebc.org/2012/04/16/former-us-attorney-john-mckay-video/. The link will go live at 5 p.m., PDT, on April 18.

  • To join the STVBC conversation, please visit the STVBC Facebook page (www.facebook.com/StoptheViolenceBC).
  • Updates on the campaign are publicly available on Twitter (www.twitter.com/stvbc).
  • To read the coalition’s first two reports, discover more about the coalition and upcoming events, and learn how to support the effort, please visit www.stoptheviolencebc.org.

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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 visit www.stoptheviolencebc.org.

For quotes from coalition members, photos and links to downloadable videos of coalition members speaking about the report, please visit www.stoptheviolencebc.org/coalition-members/.

Media: To interview Dr. Evan Wood, founder, Stop the Violence BC coalition, please contact:

Mahafrine Petigara
Edelman
604 623 3007 ext. 297
mahafrine.petigara@edelman.com

Canadian Public Health Physicians Join BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Calling for Evidence‐Based Drug Policy to Improve Community Health and Safety

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 a discussion of new approaches, including the evaluation of taxation and regulation strategies as a more effective way to improve community health and safety in Canada.

The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC‐CfE) today published a paper in Open Medicine, an international, peer‐reviewed medical journal reviewing the evidence on the effectiveness of current illicit‐drug policies. The opinions expressed in the paper by the authors are their own professional opinions as public health physicians and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employers.

The paper focuses on cannabis and concludes: “In light of the persistently widespread availability and relative safety of cannabis in comparison to existing legal drugs, as well as the crime and violence that exist secondary to prohibition of this drug, there is a need for discussion about the optimal regulatory strategy to reduce the harms of cannabis use while also reducing unintended policy‐attributable consequences (e.g., the organized crime that has emerged under prohibition).”

The paper recommends that the Canadian government re‐evaluate strategies such as mandatory minimum sentences, which have proven costly and ineffective in other nations. It notes that a growing number of European countries, such as Portugal and Holland, have treated drug use as a health rather than a criminal justice issue and have seen lower rates of drug use, as well as lower rates of drug‐related harms such as HIV infections, overdose deaths, and crime.

“There is clear evidence to demonstrate that the so called war on drugs has not achieved its stated objectives of reducing rates of drug use or drug availability,” said Dr. Perry Kendall, chief provincial medical health officer for B.C. and co‐author of the paper. “There are alternative approaches that have proved more effective in protecting public heath while not enriching organized crime and driving gang violence.”
Dr. Evan Wood, co‐director, Urban Health Research Initiative at the BC‐CfE and one of the co‐authors of the paper said that in the face of overwhelming evidence that the war‐on‐drugs approach is ineffective, the status quo must change if we really want to effectively counter the harms of illicit drugs and work towards creating safer communities for our children.

There has been growing support for regulation and taxation of marijuana in B.C. and the debate for drug policy reform has been gaining momentum across Canada. Earlier this year, Canada’s Liberal party voted in favour of the resolution to tax and regulate marijuana citing the failure of the war‐on‐drugs strategy. Recently, in B.C., former Vancouver mayors, premiers and provincial attorneys general have spoken out in favour of taxation and regulation of marijuana.

“Canada needs to pause and re‐evaluate its current approach to drug policy and embrace evidence‐ based strategies that can meaningfully improve community health and safety,” said Dr. Robert Strang, chief provincial medical health officer for Nova Scotia and co‐author of the paper.

To read the full paper titled Improving community health and safety in Canada through evidence‐based policies on illegal drugs, please go to: http://www.openmedicine.ca/.

[button link=”http://www.openmedicine.ca/article/view/501/455/” color=”orange”]Click Here for Paper[/button]

About the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC‐CfE) (www.cfenet.ubc.ca) is Canada’s largest HIV/AIDS research, treatment and education facility and is internationally recognized as an innovative world leader in combating HIV/AIDS and related diseases. It is based at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care, a teaching hospital of the University of British Columbia. The BC‐CfE works in close collaboration with key provincial stakeholders, including health authorities, health care providers, academics from other institutions, and the community to improve the health of British Columbians living with HIV through developing, monitoring and disseminating comprehensive research and treatment programs for HIV and related illnesses.

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For additional information or to request an interview, please contact:

Mahafrine Petigara
Edelman (for BC‐CfE)
604‐623‐3007 ext. 297
mahafrine.petigara@edelman.com