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Canadians Unite Against Bill C-26 - Ask MPs "Why Prohibit Marijuana?"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 3, 2007 CONTACTS: Jacob Hunter, National Event Coordinator, [email protected] or 604-803-4085, Kirk Tousaw, 604-836-1420, [email protected]. Canadians Unite Against Bill C-26 - Ask MPs "Why Prohibit Marijuana?" An exciting new grass-roots political campaign is beginning to grow across Canada. In response to the Americanization of Canadian drug policy by the Conservative Party of Canada, ordinary Canadians are standing up to ask a simple question: Why? On November 20th, 2007 the Conservative government of Canada introduced Bill C-26, imposing mandatory minimum jail sentences for cannabis (marijuana) offences in an attempt to appear "tough" on crime. In reality, the government's own experts have said time and again - most recently in the Department of Justice analysis accompanying the CPC's other "get tough" crime bill - that these extreme measures simply don't work. This American-style legislation has been met with sweeping condemnation from experts and members of the public across Canada. At noon on December 17, 2007, ordinary Canadians will be gathering at their local Member of Parliament's office to ask their MPs to vote against Bill C-26 and to force them to justify any continued support for the failed and harmful policy of marijuana prohibition. "Mandatory minimums have already failed to curb drug use and sales in the US and simply ended up filling their jails to brimming with non-violent marijuana offenders" said Kirk Tousaw, a Vancouver criminal defence lawyer that has practiced on both sides of the border, "Worse, the evidence on marijuana is pretty unequivocal: prohibition is causing more harm than it prevents. So the question for Parliament is why? Why does marijuana prohibition have the support of the House of Commons?" Tousaw, whose UBC Master's in Law thesis examined Canadian cannabis policy, said: "Cannabis and cannabis policy has been studied extensively and thoroughly by our government and many others. The conclusions are unequivocal. Prohibition doesn't reduce use or supply. Prohibition supports organized crime by providing criminals with constant revenues. Prohibition creates dangerous black markets with no controls and causes people to grow marijuana in suburban basements instead of on farms and in greenhouses. And marijuana itself is far safer than virtually all of our legal drugs, including alcohol, tobacco, prescription and over-the-counter medications. The public understands this perfectly - 63% support legalization. Yet Parliament has ignored all of this. Why?" To find out the answer, on December 17, 2007 Canadians will meet at MP's offices across Canada. Starting at noon, these citizens will ask their representatives to meet and explain what the MP's marijuana position is. If the MP supports prohibition, he or she will be asked why. Event organizer Jacob Hunter put it this way, "We want them to tell us what their reasons are. Virtually all the reasons I ever hear given to support prohibition are at odds with the scientific and expert evidence, but I think many of the MPs may simply not understand the issue well enough. It seems that our government is more willing to listen to the Bush administration than to the evidence and the Canadian public. I want to know why."

New Community Action Group Forms to Resist Harper Anti-Drug Strategy

[Courtesy of the Canadian Harm Reduction Network] History On 26th July 2007, NDP MP Peggy Nash organized a community meeting at Toronto's Parkdale Community Health Centre with a panel of speakers including NDP Drug Policy critic Libby Davies, MP, the Toronto Drug Secretariat’s Susan Shepherd, Dr. Joanne Csete, from the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Chantal Desgranges from the Toronto Harm Reduction Task Force, Parkdale-High Park MPP Cheri DiNovo and community activist Mark Dukes . It was an evening full of energy and lively debate, and a call went out at the end of the meeting for the community to take action against the regressive “Anti-Drug Strategy” being proposed by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government. Then on 4th October, Libby Davies again visited Toronto, this time for an appearance at the Toronto Harm Reduction Task Force’s Speakers’ Series – on the very day that Canada's Anti-Drug Strategy was being announced – see Stephen Harper’s speech at http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1837 With about 40 people in attendance, there was much dismay around health minister Tony Clement’s comment that “the party’s over” – like life’s ever been a party for poor people, who are the main targets of drug criminalization. A group of people signed up to meet and strategize, and on October 18th, we formed the Harm Reduction Action Group. Next Steps Our next meeting will be held at 1.00pm on Thursday November 15th, at John Howard Society, 60 Wellesley St. West, in Toronto. We agreed that our first priority is to develop an “ideal world” harm reduction strategy for ourselves, and then reach out to community action groups in other centres across Canada for buy-in, and present the Harper Conservatives with OUR vision for a strategy that reduces harm – including the harm that comes from the enforcement of prohibition that just isn’t working. Take Action – NOW! Interested? Visit our website, http://www.harmreductionactiongroup.wordpress.com and post a comment on our forum, come to our next meeting, or email Sarah Prowse at [email protected].

Press Release: Report Reveals Massive Inefficiencies in Government's Medical Cannabis Program, Urges Cost Coverage for Medicine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- August 9, 2007 CONTACT: Rielle Capler, T: 604-875-0214, E: [email protected] Report Reveals Massive Inefficiencies in Government's Medical Cannabis Program, Urges Cost Coverage for Medicine A report released today by the BC Compassion Club Society (BCCCS) uncovers massive spending inefficiencies in Health Canada's Medical Cannabis program. It was recently discovered that the government is marking up their supply of cannabis by 1500%--and that many people who have ordered the government's supply are unable to afford it and have been cut off from accessing this sole legal source. The BCCCS felt this situation warranted further scrutiny of the cultivation contracts between Health Canada and its supplier of cannabis, Prairie Plant Systems (PPS). The report's highlights include findings that: 63% of the cannabis Health Canada buys from PPS is unusable, at a cost of $220,000 this year; and 80% of the total cost of the government program are operational costs, including the cost of reports at a price of $86,740 per month. These are some of the costs being passed on to patients. The original contract between Health Canada and PPS began in December 2000, with the cost of the contract now totaling over $10 million. The report finds that community-based dispensaries are more cost-effective--while also providing higher quality services to many more people who suffer from critical and chronic illnesses. It costs the government $500,000 more per year to serve 10 times fewer people than the BC Compassion Club. The BC Compassion Club, a non-profit medical cannabis dispensary, just celebrated its 10th year anniversary of distributing high quality cannabis to over 4000 critically and chronically ill Canadians. Together compassion clubs across the country serve an estimated 10,000 people, whereas Health Canada's program has licensed only about 1,700 Canadians, of whom only 350 are accessing their cannabis from PPS. "Health Canada is requiring taxpayers and medical cannabis patients to fund inefficient practices, capital upgrades, and equipment for a private contractor. Instead of providing affordable medicine to those in need, Health Canada has chosen a policy and program that seemingly creates a windfall for one monopoly supplier," states Rielle Capler, the report's author. The report highlights the need for cost coverage of this important medicine, regardless of the source. "The cost of cannabis for those in medical need must be covered under Canada's universal health care system as it is for other medicine," says Ms. Capler. The Attorney General's office is in the early stages of an audit of certain user fees in Health Canada's program. The Vancouver Island Compassion Society (VICS) is currently in court with a constitutional challenge of the government's program. Senator Pierre Claude Nolin and Lynne Belle-Isle of the Canadian AIDS Society testified against the program this week in Victoria. "It's clear from the testimony of patients enrolled in this program that the cost is an obstacle to safe access to medical cannabis," said Philippe Lucas, director of VICS. "Compassion clubs have long urged the government to explore cost-coverage options through provincial or federal funds." To see the report: http://safeaccess.ca/pr/hc_pps_contract_report.pdf

Poll: Canadians Support Marijuana Legalization

Angus Reid Strategies has released the results of an opinion survey showing that a majority of Canadians believe marijuana should be legalized. The full report is at http://www.angus-reid.com/admin/collateral/pdfs/polls/ARS_Drugs.pdf The release is found at http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/16300.

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan and City Councillors Voted for a City Council Resolution to Support Two Important Drug Policy Measures

For Immediate Release: June 14, 2007 Contact: David Hurford, Director of Communications, City of Vancouver - Office of the Mayor, T: 604.873.7410 or 604.561.3970 Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan and City Councillors today voted for a City Council resolution to support two important drug policy measures, including: a.. Vancouver Coastal Health Authority's federal application for a 3.5 year extension of Vancouver's safe injection site b.. the general principles and objectives of the Inner Change Society's Chronic Addiction Substitution Treatment (CAST) research trial The measures were introduced by Vancouver City Councillor Kim Capri and seconded by Mayor Sullivan. "The resolution passed by City Council further supports the development of compassionate solutions to the social challenges we face," said Mayor Sullivan. "In addition to supporting the five goals I have established for my government, the extension of the safe injection site and the CAST research trial will help us meet the objectives of Project Civil City." A complete copy of the approved resolution and a background document regarding CAST general objectives and principles are included below. In addition to supporting these measures, Council has asked City Staff to report back to City Council on how the CAST goals and objectives can support Vancouver's drug policy. -END- Test of the Vancouver Drug Policy Resolution: WHEREAS The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority's Safe Injection Site: a.. was first formally introduced by former Mayor Philip Owen with Vancouver's Four Pillars strategy to improve conditions in the Downtown Eastside; b.. is one element of a drug strategy that also includes prevention, treatment and enforcement; c.. has been successfully operating for the last 3.5 years under a federal regulatory exemption which expires this year; d.. has been the subject of research studies that support its effectiveness in reducing the harm associated with drug use and addiction; e.. supports the City of Vancouver's goal of civility on our streets and finding compassionate solutions to challenging social issues; f.. supports Vancouver's objectives as identified in Project Civil City; g.. complements the groundbreaking North American Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI) heroin assisted treatment trials led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and University of Montreal, and funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; h.. will be an important agenda item on Mayor Sam Sullivan's meeting next month with the Four Pillars Coalition; i.. has submitted an application to Health Canada for a 3.5 year extension of their federal exemption. AND WHEREAS The Inner Change Society's Chronic Addiction Substitute Treatment (CAST) research trial: a.. will work with addicted people to change their drug addiction from illegal street drugs to legally available, orally-administered prescription medications; b.. will analyze the effects on both the user's health and the community at large; c.. will include regular interaction with health professionals and facilitate interventions to help users develop an "exit strategy" to end their drug dependency; d.. proposes to help reduce the open drug market and other illegal activity, improve health, increase access to housing and more employment opportunities for individual addicts; e.. is being developed by some of the most experienced health researchers in the field of mental health and addiction; f.. is based in Vancouver and has garnered support from a broad range of key stakeholders and an experienced Board of Directors; g.. is consistent with the drug substitution elements of the Four Pillars strategy; h.. supports the City of Vancouver's goal of civility on our streets and finding compassionate solutions to challenging social issues; i.. supports Vancouver's objectives as identified in Project Civil City; j.. is one element of a drug strategy that also includes prevention, treatment and enforcement; k.. will be an important agenda item on Mayor Sam Sullivan's meeting next month with the Four Pillars Coalition; l.. will also require a federal regulatory exemption; m.. complements the objectives of Vancouver's safe injection site and NAOMI heroin assisted treatment trials; n.. is likely to receive referrals from Vancouver Coastal Health's supervised injection site. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Vancouver City Council formally express its support for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority's federal application for a 3.5 year extension of Vancouver's Safe Injection Site. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Vancouver City Council formally express its support for the general principles and objectives of the Inner Change Society's Chronic Addiction Substitute Treatment (CAST) research trial as part of a comprehensive plan with additional effort to support the Four Pillars strategy and request that staff report back on the CAST program and how it would be incorporated into the City's drug policy. -END-

Constitutional Challenge of Canada's Medical Cannabis Program

Contact: Philippe Lucas, tel: 250-884-9821, E: [email protected] or Kirk Tousaw, tel: 604-836-1420, E: [email protected] In May of 2004, the Vancouver Island Therapeutic Cannabis Research Institute (VITCRI), a research and cultivation facility overseen by the Vancouver Island Compassion Society, was raided by the West Shore RCMP. Mat Beren and Michael Swallow were charged with multiple counts of cannabis production, and over 900 plants were seized and destroyed, temporarily leaving the critically and chronically ill members of the VICS without a safe source of medicine. The ensuing court case and Constitutional challenge - which is taking place from May 9th-18th in B.C. Supreme Court, 850 Burdett Avenue - will establish that the federal medical cannabis program is violating the constitutional rights of critically and chronically ill Canadians by a) unnecessarily restricting access to the program; b) supplying an inadequate source of cannabis; and c) instituting arbitrary limitations on production and distribution. "This ineffective, onerous and expensive program has long been an impediment to safe access" says Philippe Lucas, a medical cannabis user and founder of the VICS, "and clearly isn't protecting Canada's sickest citizens from arrest for their use of medical cannabis". The VICS legal team consists of Mr. John Conroy QC from Abbotsford, BC, and Mr. Kirk Tousaw. Witnesses for the defense include Senator Pierre-Claude Nolin (chair of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs), Dr. Robert Melamede (Biology professor at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs). "We look forward to challenging the constitutionality of these regulations and demonstrating to the court that Health Canada is not meeting its obligations to Canada's critically and chronically ill", says Mr. Tousaw. If successful, this challenge will make the legal medical use of cannabis more accessible, and potentially legalize the community-based distribution of cannabis. A similar challenge in Ontario from 2003 resulted with the courts striking down the prohibition on the recreational adult use of cannabis in Ontario, thereby legalizing the personal use of cannabis for over 18 months. This case may lead to a similar outcome in B.C.

Perry Kendall (British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer) Responds to INCB's Assertion that Supervised Injection Facilities Are in Breach of International Drug Control Treaties

Perry Kendall (British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer) sent the following to the Vancouver Sun on March 2, 2007: Subject: INCB and SIS I am writing in respect of the front page story (Friday march 2nd 2007) concerning the International Narcotic Control Board's (INCB) assertion that countries permitting supervised injection facilities are in breach of international drug control treaties.

Saskatchewan NDP Backs Legal Marijuana

On Saturday, November 18, the Saskatchewan NDP passed a resolution calling for removal of all criminal penalties for personal cultivation and possession of marijuana, and pledging to work towards