Review of drug prohibition policies, Passed by Alberta NDP 2011

Passed by Alberta NDP by Alberta NDP Council 2011

Whereas cannabis has a long history of social, religious and medicinal use in a wide variety of cultures around the world; and

Whereas government figures estimate 3 million Canadians or 14% of Canada's population have used cannabis during their lifetime, and that virtually all these people are otherwise law-abiding citizens; and

Whereas 50, 000 Canadians are arrested each year for cannabis possession, taking up a great deal of police and court time and resources; and

Whereas the two major Canadian studies into the effects of cannabis and cannabis law, the 1971 LeDain Commission and the 2002 Canadian Senate Report, both recommended removing punishments for personal cultivation and possession, with the Senate report also recommending that cannabis should be regulated and made legally available to adults; and

Whereas simply decriminalizing marijuana would still leave possession as an offense punishable by a fine, and would leave all the other harms associated with prohibition intact;

Be it resolved that the ANDP supports a broad federal review of the impacts and harms caused by current drug prohibition policies, to select the best model for the government to implement a non-criminal, regulatory approach to psychoactive substance use that is based on reducing risk and harm, by emphasizing prevention, public education, health promotion, and safety.