T
The420Guy
Guest
OTTAWA (CP) -- The federal government is prepared to put up more money to
fight recreational drug use, an approach others say is U.S. driven and out
of touch with trends elsewhere.
Attorney General Anne McLellan reiterated Liberal policy Wednesday after
the United Nations criticized Canada's anti-drug efforts.
"It's clear that we can do more and we must do more,'' McLellan said
outside Liberal caucus. "We're going to put more resources toward that.
Certainly we as a government are seized with the issue.''
The UN report said Canada's attitude toward illegal growers of cannabis is
lax and has not controlled illicit production of drugs such as "ice'' and
"ecstasy.''
The UN International Narcotics Control Board said Canadian court sentences
to cannabis growers and couriers essentially amount to slaps on the wrist.
"We wonder whether that policy is a sufficient deterrent to get people not
to cultivate cannabis,'' said Herbert Schaepe, the board secretary.
The UN position, and Liberal policy, were challenged by Neil Boyd, a
criminologist at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C.
The UN report and Ottawa's get-tough attitude are driven by U.S. policy, he
said in an interview.
"It's an American-driven criticism. The democracies of Western Europe are
headed in a very different direction than Canada.''
The Netherlands has permitted distribution of marijuana in coffee shops for
25 years, he noted, and rates of use there have always remained lower than
in Canada or the United States.
The Americans are out of step with the rest of the civilized world on
numerous criminal justice issues, he said -- most notably the death
penalty, but also in their harsh drug-related sentences.
Canada is unduly influenced by the United States in criminal justice
matters, generally, and on anti-drug policy, particularly, Boyd said.
"This pressure relates to the fact that we share a 3,000-mile border,'' he
said.
"Our policies are actually much more harsh than most of the policies that
exist in the democracies of Western Europe.''
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Pubdate: Thu, 22 Feb 2001
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2001 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Contact: letters@guardian.co.uk
Address: 75 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER, England
Fax: +44-171-837 4530
Website: https://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/guardian/
Section: News A1/Front
fight recreational drug use, an approach others say is U.S. driven and out
of touch with trends elsewhere.
Attorney General Anne McLellan reiterated Liberal policy Wednesday after
the United Nations criticized Canada's anti-drug efforts.
"It's clear that we can do more and we must do more,'' McLellan said
outside Liberal caucus. "We're going to put more resources toward that.
Certainly we as a government are seized with the issue.''
The UN report said Canada's attitude toward illegal growers of cannabis is
lax and has not controlled illicit production of drugs such as "ice'' and
"ecstasy.''
The UN International Narcotics Control Board said Canadian court sentences
to cannabis growers and couriers essentially amount to slaps on the wrist.
"We wonder whether that policy is a sufficient deterrent to get people not
to cultivate cannabis,'' said Herbert Schaepe, the board secretary.
The UN position, and Liberal policy, were challenged by Neil Boyd, a
criminologist at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C.
The UN report and Ottawa's get-tough attitude are driven by U.S. policy, he
said in an interview.
"It's an American-driven criticism. The democracies of Western Europe are
headed in a very different direction than Canada.''
The Netherlands has permitted distribution of marijuana in coffee shops for
25 years, he noted, and rates of use there have always remained lower than
in Canada or the United States.
The Americans are out of step with the rest of the civilized world on
numerous criminal justice issues, he said -- most notably the death
penalty, but also in their harsh drug-related sentences.
Canada is unduly influenced by the United States in criminal justice
matters, generally, and on anti-drug policy, particularly, Boyd said.
"This pressure relates to the fact that we share a 3,000-mile border,'' he
said.
"Our policies are actually much more harsh than most of the policies that
exist in the democracies of Western Europe.''
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Pubdate: Thu, 22 Feb 2001
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2001 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Contact: letters@guardian.co.uk
Address: 75 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER, England
Fax: +44-171-837 4530
Website: https://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/guardian/
Section: News A1/Front
