This fall the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition joined the recently formed Stop the Violence Coalition BC (STVBC), 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.
The STVBC coalition is working to engage British Columbians in discussion about how the current policy of cannabis prohibition is working to achieve the goals of reducing availability and use of cannabis in British Columbia and minimizing the involvement of organized crime in the illegal cannabis market. The STVBC Coalition is calling for a new model of regulating cannabis to be considered – regulating and taxing cannabis within a legal framework.
The CDPC applauds the leadership taken by STVBC in bringing this discussion to light in British Columbia. CDPC is committed to evidence informed public discussion with a goal of developing more effective drug policies for Canada. For too long there has been a taboo on discussion and dialogue about viable alternatives to drug prohibition, a policy framework that has thwarted experimentation and innovation in policy development. Given the normalization of cannabis use in Canadian society as a common recreational substance, the enormous scale of the cannabis market within Canada and concerns over health and safety within the cannabis market this report is a significant contribution to the public discussion on how best to minimize harm within the cannabis market.
Here is a copy of the second report issued by the Stop the Violence BC coalition. It focuses on the impact of drug law enforcement on cannabis availability and the expansion of organized crime in BC. The report recognizes that cannabis prohibition laws are ineffective when it comes to decreasing rates of availability and price, and suggests ways to better protect community health and safety. More details at www.stobptheviolencebc.org >>
