Libby speaking out against Conservative's so-called "crime agenda"
February 1, 2010
The Hill Times
Justice Minister Nicholson pushes crime bill he used to be againstFederal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, who is pushing the government's tough on crime agenda and plans to revive the bill on mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes in the next Parliamentary session, did not support the proposed law when he was a Mulroney backbencher.
In 1988, Mr. Nicholson vice-chaired a Parliamentary committee that released a report recommending mandatory minimum sentences not be used, except in the case of repeat violent sexual offenders. The committee found, based on testimony and the U.S. experience, that the law didn't work and increases prison populations....NDP MP Libby Davies (Vancouver East, B.C.), whose party voted against Bill C-15, said Mr. Nicholson's zest for introducing mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes is purely political.
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Comments
Bill C-15
Thank You Libby Davies for fighting against Bill C-15! I am so glad there are MP's like you who see through ideological ranting and you champion those who are in the know regarding drug policy.
I wrote this blog post because of a great quote from you. ~ Calling the Tories Out on Bill C-15 - "The Politics of Fear" http://maryjanecannabian.blogspot.com/2009/11/calling-tories-out-on-bill...
By the way, did Rob Nicholson ever provide that evidence to the Senate Committee he said he had to support the bill? I'd be really interested to know.
MaryJane Cannabian,
"Youngsterdam", Ontario.
Marijuana The Nature of Things, The Downside of the High, CBC.ca
I would suggest that Ms Davies watch the program online at cbc.ca, TV, online video called The Downside of the High.
Marijuana of today has been manipulated to have a higher THC content between 18 and 28 per cent. Studies over 15 years in three countries including BC, Canada, Switzerland and Amsterdam, Holland all replicate the same or similar findings and proof of schizophrenia and psychosis, or psychotic outbursts and violence causing harm. I as a mother of two, who do not use marijuana ever, it just plain stinks and it is smoking, well I am shocked that Ms Davies has no idea what THC in increased amounts can do to a human. Narcotics are considering changing THC to a stronger form of drug group. I think people in BC are basically nuts to allow any marijuana. It looks like I am right. For this reason Ms Davies, I will not vote NDP, you
need to take a serious look at the drug situation created by BC. Do you think the USA is going to be fond of stupid Canadians who seem to have to drug their friends just for the almighty dollar that you are not even taxing. So if drug dealers are not being taxed make them go to their own Hospitals and pay for their rehab etc. If you support even one marijuana plant you are nuts and the rest of the world will look at you and laugh. Get with the program and get rid of all Marijuana. Smoke causes cancer, marijuana smoke is smoke and is 18 to 29 percent THC also laced with chemicals as bug spray, cocaine, heroin and opium. Wake up or your young people will be dumb schitzo's. I would not hire any marijuana smoker's ever, not in my whole life. People in BC head the stupidest, most uninformed group on the planet. Marijuana SUCKS, you smoke it.
And do not come near my children or family with your stinky disgusting low life pot.
Mary
Reply to"Anonymous" Mon 02/01/2010
First off "psycotic outbursts" and "violence causing harm" are definately not normal reactions to pot use. They are though normal for people impaired by alcohol which is legal. This can be illustrated by going anywhere to where alcohol is being consumed and witnessing activity. If a person is using pot it usually makes them sedated and usually non confrontational.
As far as higher THC content is concerned how about the famous strains of the 60's and 70's like from Mexico and Panama for example. They were known as strong varieties among many others. High THC is not a bad thing either as less material has to be smoked to achieve the desired result. Also it has been used in US propaganda citing it makes it dangerous. So far pot deaths zero and alcohol many.
I've also never heard of anyone trying to reclassify the drug group of pot except for prohibition groups.
Education, not fear-mongering & propaganda, is the key
Submitted by MaryJane Cannabian http://maryjanecannabian.blogspot.com
Mary, I suggest you read some more about Cannabis, you make alot of assumptions. I am so proud of Libby Davies for standing up for all Canadians, whether they use drugs or not she does not descriminate. I would never vote for a politician that thinks some Canadians are less "worth it" than others. And as far as never hiring someone who smokes Cannabis, well, the people of the US didn't seem to mind hiring someone who inhaled, because the last 3 presidents all used it, Clinton, Bush Jr, and Obama.
According to the RCMP the the average levels of THC in marihuana grown in Canada is 9.96-10.25 per cent. (2005/06) And what about obese people -if you think cannabis users should go to their own hospitals should those who eat too many twinkies be dealt the same? Poor eating habits is a major cost to taxpayers in Canada.
Just like with any substance, Cannabis isn't for everyone, and perhaps those with a genetic predispostion for Schizophrenia should not induldge, just like diabetics shouldn't dive into the dessert bar at a buffet, or maybe the children of alcoholics should avoid booze. Just because some people may not handle Cannabis well does not mean everyone should be punished with jail for using it. If Cannabis was regulated like alcohol and cigarettes our children would have a much harder time obtaining it because as it stands right now, drug dealers do not ask kids for ID!
People may also be interested to know that Cannabis may also be beneficial for people with Schizophrenia, but Mainstream Media hasn't reported that now have they, because I guess that headline just isn't as exciting as "Evil Pot Is Gonna Get Your Kids!!!"
Excerpts from: International Researchers Reveal Medical Cannabis Breakthroughs! http://maryjanecannabian.blogspot.com/2009/10/international-researchers-...
International Association for Cannabis as Medicine
IACM 5th Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine
2-3 October 2009, Cologne
Program and Abstracts
Copyright by
International Association for Cannabis as Medicine
Am Mildenweg 6
59602 Rüthen
Germany
www.cannabis-med.org
METABOLIC ABNORMALITIES, ABNORMAL STRESS RESPONSE AND CHRONIC
INFLAMMATION IN SCHIZOPHRENIA – POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR
CANNABINOID MEDICINES?
In recent years much concern has arisen over the possibility that cannabis smoking in
adolescence may be a risk factor for schizophrenia in adult life, although this remains a
controversial issue. In contrast, considerable interest in the potential role of the non-psychoactive naturally occurring cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) as an anti-psychotic medicine has also developed. The anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of both THC and CBD are well established. A systematic literature review has suggested the intriguing possibility that habitual cannabis use may protect cognitive function in schizophrenia patients, and CBD has been shown to improve a marker of this in healthy subjects.
There are preliminary data to suggest that cannabinoids may have beneficial effects on abnormal stress reaction, metabolic dysfunction and dyslipidaemia. Since the mechanism of action for the anti-psychotic effects of CBD and other cannabinoids almost certainly differs from all existing agents, synergistic combinations withboth typical and atypical antipsychotics are a possibility. Taken overall, these observations lead to the hypothesis that an appropriately formulated medicine containing a combination of selected cannabinoids may have the potential to target all the major components of the schizophrenia syndrome and thereby significantly reduce the need for polypharmacy.
In Layman's terms, Cannabis can help the symptoms of schizophrenia and cuts down the number of prescription drugs (polypharmacy) a person has to take.
And this study shows that incidence of schizophrenia has not increased with increased numbers of Cannabis users:
"The evidence that schizophrenia levels have remained constant is overwhelming, not just in Australia, but right throughout the world.
People Living with Psychotic Illness: An Australian Study 1997-98, published as part of the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, found that the prevalence for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders in urban Australia was about 3 per 1000 in 1998. This was in the middle range of a world-wide prevalence of 2 to 5 per 1000.
The report commented:
"Epidemiological studies estimating the prevalence of schizophrenic and related psychotic disorders have been conducted since the early decade of this century [i.e.Twentieth Century]. The results of studies carried out at different times and different parts of the world ... suggest that, notwithstanding cultural and biological differences between populations, and the different methods used to ascertain morbidity, the prevalence of schizophrenia is remarkably similar around the world (in the range between 2 and 5 per 1000 according to the majority of studies) and stable over time."
This conclusion—that schizophrenia levels have been stable over place and time for as long as they have been measured—was based on an examination of 28 surveys into the incidence of schizophrenia conducted throughout the world over several decades. One of these surveys was a 1993 World Health Organisation study on the incidence of schizophrenia in which standardised methods of case detection, interviewing and diagnosis were applied simultaneously in 7 countries. Like the other surveys, this found little variation in the incidence rates of schizophrenia across the different populations and cultures.
Countries which had extremely high cannabis use (Jamaica in 1995] had the same schizophrenia rates per 1000 as countries with zero cannabis use (Norway in 1926-1935).
Q: Does cannabis use cause schizophrenia?
A: No. Over the past four decades most countries in the Western world have experienced rapidly increasing cannabis use. None of these countries has experienced any accompanying “Madness” plague. Countries like Australia and Jamaica which have the highest levels of cannabis use have levels of schizophrenia similar to the rest of the world.
We’ve smoked the “Reefer” for four decades, and “Madness” levels have remained steady, not just in Australia, but all over the world. Where does that leave the “Reefer Madness” theory?? --- http://drjiggens.com/does_cannabis_use_cause_schizophrenia.html
Plus, Cannabis has never killed anyone and nowhere has it ever beeen proven to cause cancer, and in fact it has been shown to reduce certain head, neck and throat cancers. Educate yourself.
In 2006, Dr. Donald Tashkin led the largest population case-control study (yes, Dr. Tashkin actually performed research on HUMANS, not ‘CALF THYMUS DNA’) ever to assess the use of marijuana and lung cancer risk. The study, which included more than 2,200 subjects (1,212 cases and 1,040 controls) concluded “What we found instead was no association (between marijuana smoking and cancer) and even a suggestion of some protective (anti-cancer) effect.”
Dr. Tashkin has performed US-government sponsored studies of marijuana & lung function for over 30 yrs. and is considered to be the United States’ — if not the world’s — foremost expert on Cannabis. Read More: “Fox News Infected With “Reefer Madness”
http://blog.norml.org/2009/06/17/fox-news-infected-with-reefer-madness/
The American Gov has been aware of the cancer fighting properties of Cannabis since 1974: http://www.alternet.org/story/9257/
"In 1974 researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded by the National Institute of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice -- lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia.
The DEA quickly shut down the Virginia study and all further cannabis/tumor research..."
"The Miracle of Cannabis" This one has tonnes of links to other Cannabis research:
http://maryjanecannabian.blogspot.com/2009/07/miracle-of-cannabis.html
"Cannabis and Cancer"
http://maryjanecannabian.blogspot.com/2009/06/cannabis-and-cancer.html
BTW, legal prescription drugs are the 4th leading cause of death in Canada.
"According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), prescription drugs are now the fourth leading medical cause of death in the U.S. and Canada..." http://www.healthyalterego.com/index.php/2009/01/prescription-drugs-4th-...
movies
Mary,
I suggest you watch The Union: The Business Behind Getting High if you feel so strongly about this topic, and then come back and discuss. I would also recommend you look into the California jail system, and how it has changed over the past decade from instilling minimum sentences, and the "war on drugs" and how that system has worked. I think you will be very surprised.
Support Given to Street Dealers Not Medical MJ Users?
Medical MJ should not be in the Grey, so what's wrong with Locking up Street Dealers who Prey on the Sick?
This lady needs pick a side and try to stay on it!
She comes out after a Medical MJ Users Dies to say she should have had Right before being Evicted!!
Man I hope there is an election called so These MPs can be exposed!!
"Another issue that Ive been working on is Im beginning some consultations with some compassion clubs medical marijuana. This has always been an area where the federal government has always done such a poor job, and its very big issue for a lot of people across the country that they cant properly access medical marijuana through the federal government. Im meeting with folks beginning in Vancouver but elsewhere as well to maybe come up with a medical marijuana bill of rights or something, that theres guaranteed access and availability.
" Libby Davis
NDP Layton, Bell, Stoffer, Davies Homeless & Street Drugs? I Am Guilty Too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NLpe-Qkb14