Should marijuana be legalized in British Columbia? Has prohibition failed? Would legalization reduce criminal control of drugs? What would be the 
impacts on BC’s economy? How would it affect public health? Would BC become a province of junkies and a tourist destination for rowdies?
impacts on BC’s economy? How would it affect public health? Would BC become a province of junkies and a tourist destination for rowdies?.
To start the discussion, City Conversations presents Kash Heed, MLA, Vancouver-Fraserview; Donald MacPherson, Director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition’ and a representative of the recently published economic study on legalized marijuana. Then it’s your turn to join the conversation.
When: Thursday, January 17 – 12:30 pm
Where: SFU Vancouver, Harbour Centre 515 West Hastings, Room 2270
An SFU Public Square event.
Legalizing pot won’t change consumption patterns much. I understand it is already easily available throughout all locations and strata of BC society.
It will change the distribution and financial impact — taking organized crime mostly out of the picture, and turning revenues back to the people of BC. This alone is a laudable goal.
Ohrn is right, I expect. It’s anecdotal, but I was recently at a dinner party at which several generations of a middle-class family were present, ranging in age from 17 to 76. Everyone single one of them has or does smoke(d) or eat(en) marijuana. All of them were/are productive, contributing members of society, and none of them I would describe as anything resembling a “pothead”. They simply have a recreational interest in marijuana, but are forced through the irrational paranoia of others to contribute money to organised crime in the process.