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Newsbrief:
Finnish
Green
MP
Causes
Flap
with
Admission
of
Cannabis
Use
5/14/04
There are Green parties and
then there are Green parties. In most countries, the Greens have
adopted progressive drug reform planks, and in some places, Green politicians
are prominent cannabis advocates, but things are a little different in
Scandinavia. An indication of Nordic sensibilities came last week,
when Finnish Green League Member of Parliament (MP) Rosa Anneli Meriläinen
was scolded by her own party leadership for being a little too candid about
cannabis.
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 |
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Rosa Meriläinen
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The flap started when Meriläinen
admitted in an interview with the magazine Image that she "smoked a little
cannabis at some parties" around a year ago, during her term as an MP.
The 28-year-old former party vice-chair then became the object of discussion
in the Green's Parliamentary Group, the Helsingin Sanomat reported.
According to the Finnish
newspaper, Meriläinen's comments were regarded as "awkward" for the
party as it prepares for June elections to the European Parliament.
Current party leaer Osmo Soininvaara was not amused. "Particularly
stupid," he said. "The laws currently in force should be respected."
That reaction is not surprising,
given the Finnish Greens' stance on drug policy. In a single platform
paragraph that lumps drugs in with prostitution, the party position fails
to mention legalization or even decriminalization of cannabis. Instead,
the platform emphasizes prevention and treatment -- "recovering from alcohol
or drug abuse is supported," it says. The platform does call for
improved availability of maintenance and substitution treatments for hard
drug addiction.
Whatever their stance on
drug policy, the Finnish Greens are weak, with only 14 MPs out of 200,
making them the country's fifth-largest political party.
Visit http://www.vihrealiitto.fi/english.shtml
to read the Finnish Green platform online.
-- END --
|
Issue #337, 5/14/04
Editorial: Always Another Angle |
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Canada Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Dying as Government Prepares to Call Elections, Few Mourners |
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Newsbrief: Alcohol Prohibition Coming to Nigerian State |
Newsbrief: Study Finds "No Increased Risk" for Marijuana-Using Drivers |
Newsbrief: Hip-Hop Summit Announces Mass Rally Against Drug War at GOP Convention |
Newsbrief: Finnish Green MP Causes Flap with Admission of Cannabis Use |
Newsbrief: Million Marijuana Marches, Continued -- Rocking in Rosario, Repression in Russia and Israel |
This Week in History |
Job Opportunity: Program Coordinator, International Harm Reduction Development Program, OSI |
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