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But Philip Owen tells a Senate committee that hard drugs need a
different approach
Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen added his name Wednesday to the list of
those who believe that marijuana should be decriminalized.
But he told a special Senate committee reviewing Canada's anti-drug
laws that hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin need a different
approach.
Owen was one of the few speakers who told the committee he
doesn't believe the "war on drugs" has been lost.
The city, its police force, social workers and others strongly believe
in a comprehensive drug policy that revolves around prevention,
treatment, enforcement and harm reduction, he said.
But he admitted in an interview that policy doesn't necessarily apply
to soft drugs such as cannabis, and he told the committee that
legalization of such drugs is likely inevitable.
Owen said in the interview that he personally favours decriminalization
of marijuana, but supports the police department's program of busting
marijuana-growing operations, given that laws exist that must be
enforced.
"It is not if we will do it [decriminalize marijuana], it is when will
we do it," he said.
"I think the public wants to have public discussions about soft drugs
and hard drugs separately. I support that public discussion."
His comments struck a chord with committee member Senator Pat Carney.
"Philip Owen hit the nail on the head when he said there were two
debates that need to happen, one around soft drugs and the other around
hard," she said during a break.
The common theme of many of the speakers -- who included doctors, drug
abusers and lawyers -- is that drug abuse is largely a personal medical
and societal problem, rather than a criminal one.
Although the committee is interested in the issues around hard drugs,
it was formed with the intent of reviewing Canada's anti-drug laws,
particularly as they apply to cannabis. The committee is expected to
table its report before the Senate in August 2002.
Dr. Mark Tyndall, director of epidemiology at the B.C. Centre for
Excellence in HIV/AIDS, told the senators there was no better example
of the conflicting problems facing abusers than what happens at his
agency.
The centre has been following 1,400 injection drug abusers in the
Downtown Eastside since 1996.
Most are on some form of social assistance. Almost all have now tested
positive for hepatitis C. Nearly half are HIV-positive. They face a
revolving door in which they overdose, are patched up by doctors and
returned to the same environment where they overdosed in the first
place, he said.
He said that while Vancouver is light years ahead of the United States
in recognizing drug addiction as a medical problem rather than a law-
enforcement issue and has invoked a number of harm-reduction strategies
such as the needle-exchange program, the city still isn't close to
solving its problem.
"It is ironic that we expend most of our efforts and nearly all of our
resources on combatting crime, reducing public drug use, restricting
prostitution and treating drug-related illnesses as we allow the
underlying causes of this problem to go largely neglected."
Hilary Black, founder of the B.C. Compassion Club Society, which
distributes cannabis for medicinal purposes, said her group fears
government and corporate intervention when the drug is decriminalized.
The club's proposal for a research project with some Vancouver
scientists was turned down because it refused to allow the use of a
placebo, she said, adding that helped reinforce distrust of government
involvement. Health Canada's priority is to fund research that will
result in patentable, marketable products, she said.
"These legal products can be used to fortify the oppression of access
to unprocessed cannabis. Those who need medicinal cannabis must have the
option to use manufactured products or whole plant medicine as they
wish, not as determined by a political agenda," she said.
The societal culture against legalization of drugs isn't limited to
cannabis. David Mossop, a lawyer with the Community Legal Assistance
Service, said public opposition has made it impossible so far to open
safe injection houses, even though they would help reduce the number of
overdoses.
Dean Wilson, a member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, told
the committee addicts resent the way governments and social agencies
take an elitist approach to dealing with them.
- - -
WHAT THE SENATORS HEARD ABOUT SOFT DRUGS
"Prohibition is not protecting Canadians from the evils of cannabis;
prohibition is destroying Canadians' lives. The stigma, shame and
criminal record can ruin one's ability to succeed in life, families are
torn apart by children being seized, or a parent may be taken away. So
many good people are caged in jail, people we need in our society. The
laws, not the plant, cause what violence there may be around cannabis."
- Hilary Black, founder and co-director of the B.C. Compassion Club
Society.
"Vancouver has been the site of a horrible natural study in drug use
and more recently, HIV and hepatitis transmission. If we continue to be
stalled in providing even the most modest services and interventions,
we will be known as the city that did nothing when the epidemic
occurred.
"
- Dr. Mark Tyndall, director of epidemiology at the B.C. Centre for
Excellence in HIV/AIDS.
"We live in a society where drug use is common. Legal drugs are
everywhere and readily available to help us through the day if we need
them -- to kill the pain, keep us awake, to help us sleep and so on. As
with licit drugs, illicit drugs are also here to stay and are an issue
that we will have to come to grips with and . . . learn to manage in a
way whereby harm to individuals and communities as a result of
substance misuse is reduced. Acknowledging the problem is the first step
to problem solving and I believe that in Vancouver we have done that."
- Donald MacPherson, drug policy coordinator, city of Vancouver.
"Our justice system and prisons are filled with people that would not
have had any contact with the system had we treated the issue as a
social problem. We must remember that drugs do not cause social ills
but are a coping mechanism used by some to deal with those ills."
- Dean Wilson, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.
"Over the last four years, the city of Vancouver and its citizens have
come to realize that we cannot ignore the illegal drug problem and
associated property crime in our community. We can neither incarcerate
our way out of it nor can we liberalize our way out of it. We cannot
ignore it. We need to manage it through a comprehensive system of care
that leads to safe and healthier communities."
- Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen.
" I am not alone when I go on the record in support of the removal of
criminal penalties for small private possession of cannabis as a means
of reducing the economic costs of law enforcement, and the social costs
of arrest of people who are otherwise not criminally involved."
- Inspector Kash Heed, commanding officer of the vice/drug section,
Vancouver police department.
"All that is lacking is the political will. The federal government
should not only license safe injection facilities forthwith, but they
should also fund them as well. Addicts may have charter rights to
treatment and to safe injection sites."
- David Mossop, Community Legal Assistance Service.
(c) Copyright 2001 Vancouver Sun
Newshawk: CMAP
Author: Jeff Lee
Source: Vancouver Sun
Pubdate: Thursday, November 08, 2001
different approach
Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen added his name Wednesday to the list of
those who believe that marijuana should be decriminalized.
But he told a special Senate committee reviewing Canada's anti-drug
laws that hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin need a different
approach.
Owen was one of the few speakers who told the committee he
doesn't believe the "war on drugs" has been lost.
The city, its police force, social workers and others strongly believe
in a comprehensive drug policy that revolves around prevention,
treatment, enforcement and harm reduction, he said.
But he admitted in an interview that policy doesn't necessarily apply
to soft drugs such as cannabis, and he told the committee that
legalization of such drugs is likely inevitable.
Owen said in the interview that he personally favours decriminalization
of marijuana, but supports the police department's program of busting
marijuana-growing operations, given that laws exist that must be
enforced.
"It is not if we will do it [decriminalize marijuana], it is when will
we do it," he said.
"I think the public wants to have public discussions about soft drugs
and hard drugs separately. I support that public discussion."
His comments struck a chord with committee member Senator Pat Carney.
"Philip Owen hit the nail on the head when he said there were two
debates that need to happen, one around soft drugs and the other around
hard," she said during a break.
The common theme of many of the speakers -- who included doctors, drug
abusers and lawyers -- is that drug abuse is largely a personal medical
and societal problem, rather than a criminal one.
Although the committee is interested in the issues around hard drugs,
it was formed with the intent of reviewing Canada's anti-drug laws,
particularly as they apply to cannabis. The committee is expected to
table its report before the Senate in August 2002.
Dr. Mark Tyndall, director of epidemiology at the B.C. Centre for
Excellence in HIV/AIDS, told the senators there was no better example
of the conflicting problems facing abusers than what happens at his
agency.
The centre has been following 1,400 injection drug abusers in the
Downtown Eastside since 1996.
Most are on some form of social assistance. Almost all have now tested
positive for hepatitis C. Nearly half are HIV-positive. They face a
revolving door in which they overdose, are patched up by doctors and
returned to the same environment where they overdosed in the first
place, he said.
He said that while Vancouver is light years ahead of the United States
in recognizing drug addiction as a medical problem rather than a law-
enforcement issue and has invoked a number of harm-reduction strategies
such as the needle-exchange program, the city still isn't close to
solving its problem.
"It is ironic that we expend most of our efforts and nearly all of our
resources on combatting crime, reducing public drug use, restricting
prostitution and treating drug-related illnesses as we allow the
underlying causes of this problem to go largely neglected."
Hilary Black, founder of the B.C. Compassion Club Society, which
distributes cannabis for medicinal purposes, said her group fears
government and corporate intervention when the drug is decriminalized.
The club's proposal for a research project with some Vancouver
scientists was turned down because it refused to allow the use of a
placebo, she said, adding that helped reinforce distrust of government
involvement. Health Canada's priority is to fund research that will
result in patentable, marketable products, she said.
"These legal products can be used to fortify the oppression of access
to unprocessed cannabis. Those who need medicinal cannabis must have the
option to use manufactured products or whole plant medicine as they
wish, not as determined by a political agenda," she said.
The societal culture against legalization of drugs isn't limited to
cannabis. David Mossop, a lawyer with the Community Legal Assistance
Service, said public opposition has made it impossible so far to open
safe injection houses, even though they would help reduce the number of
overdoses.
Dean Wilson, a member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, told
the committee addicts resent the way governments and social agencies
take an elitist approach to dealing with them.
- - -
WHAT THE SENATORS HEARD ABOUT SOFT DRUGS
"Prohibition is not protecting Canadians from the evils of cannabis;
prohibition is destroying Canadians' lives. The stigma, shame and
criminal record can ruin one's ability to succeed in life, families are
torn apart by children being seized, or a parent may be taken away. So
many good people are caged in jail, people we need in our society. The
laws, not the plant, cause what violence there may be around cannabis."
- Hilary Black, founder and co-director of the B.C. Compassion Club
Society.
"Vancouver has been the site of a horrible natural study in drug use
and more recently, HIV and hepatitis transmission. If we continue to be
stalled in providing even the most modest services and interventions,
we will be known as the city that did nothing when the epidemic
occurred.
"
- Dr. Mark Tyndall, director of epidemiology at the B.C. Centre for
Excellence in HIV/AIDS.
"We live in a society where drug use is common. Legal drugs are
everywhere and readily available to help us through the day if we need
them -- to kill the pain, keep us awake, to help us sleep and so on. As
with licit drugs, illicit drugs are also here to stay and are an issue
that we will have to come to grips with and . . . learn to manage in a
way whereby harm to individuals and communities as a result of
substance misuse is reduced. Acknowledging the problem is the first step
to problem solving and I believe that in Vancouver we have done that."
- Donald MacPherson, drug policy coordinator, city of Vancouver.
"Our justice system and prisons are filled with people that would not
have had any contact with the system had we treated the issue as a
social problem. We must remember that drugs do not cause social ills
but are a coping mechanism used by some to deal with those ills."
- Dean Wilson, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.
"Over the last four years, the city of Vancouver and its citizens have
come to realize that we cannot ignore the illegal drug problem and
associated property crime in our community. We can neither incarcerate
our way out of it nor can we liberalize our way out of it. We cannot
ignore it. We need to manage it through a comprehensive system of care
that leads to safe and healthier communities."
- Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen.
" I am not alone when I go on the record in support of the removal of
criminal penalties for small private possession of cannabis as a means
of reducing the economic costs of law enforcement, and the social costs
of arrest of people who are otherwise not criminally involved."
- Inspector Kash Heed, commanding officer of the vice/drug section,
Vancouver police department.
"All that is lacking is the political will. The federal government
should not only license safe injection facilities forthwith, but they
should also fund them as well. Addicts may have charter rights to
treatment and to safe injection sites."
- David Mossop, Community Legal Assistance Service.
(c) Copyright 2001 Vancouver Sun
Newshawk: CMAP
Author: Jeff Lee
Source: Vancouver Sun
Pubdate: Thursday, November 08, 2001
