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Legalizing and taxing pot no solution: Odd Squad member
VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980)

11/20/2012

A police officer and Odd Squad member says a new BC study touting the legalization of pot may help the bottom line but won't hurt dealers.

Doug Spencer says he appreciates that the experts who wrote the report are looking for a solution to drug related violence - but says calling for the taxation of legal marijuana is the wrong approach.

"They're all trying to do what they can but they gotta just come to the realization that to legalize marijuana you are not going to slow down gangs one bit"

Spencer says with, or without, dealing pot gangs will be just as dangerous.

The Stop the Violence BC report says tax from government regulated pot could be worth half a billion dollars a year to to the province.

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  • 31
  1. MikeS_41 posted on 11/21/2012 12:28 AM
    What a reckless statement by Doug Spencer, hes obviously more concerned about his cops & robbers job then doing something about the FAILED war on drugs. Let me guess he thinks police needs more funding more cops more hours and more costs?
    1. DeceitinDrugsD posted on 11/21/2012 01:14 PM
      @MikeS_41 Actually, legalization will not drive away gangs.

      Gangs exist because these are people, who
      want to make big money and it sure is not by
      having a 9-5 job.

      If anything, they'll just push harder to get their
      market share in the drug trade and will find
      others ways to make profits, inc. pushing hard
      drugs harder.

      legalization will only make it legal, no court tie ups
      etc for small amounts of personal marijuana usage
      and so it should.

      But, in terms of putting a dent in the drug trade,
      not a chance.

      It will result in them moving into areas, where pot is
      not legalized rather than reducing drug trafficking
      by Gangs
    2. AnneH_4 posted on 11/21/2012 06:13 PM
      @MikeS_41 Do you have any idea what he proposes - I havent seen anything
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  2. gordp1205 posted on 11/21/2012 08:24 AM
    For anyone who thinks the legalization of marijuana is a panacea to gang violence in this country, well, who know's what they're smoking. Spencer is right on! Has anyone noticed the amount of Tax Evasion that goes on in this country already? The gangs will just undercut the "legal" cost of marijuana and flood the market with their own product. If that doesn't work they will set up meth labs, import more heroin and cocaine or get into kidnappings and other crimes. These people don't conform to society, let alone want to work for a living!
    1. miltw posted on 11/21/2012 09:38 AM
      @gordp1205 Than they should all run as politicians if they don't want to work for a living. There will be a lot of vacancies in the liebral party soon and their beliefs are already similar.
    2. Ken280 posted on 11/21/2012 09:50 AM
      @gordp1205 you mean like they do with making stills for booze,wouldn't you like to see how much time you would do in the can for selling booze,try drinking a beer in public and see them swoop down,smoking pot is everywhere. The way I see it the biggest noise against legalization are from the ones with invested interests! someone is making big bucks can't be all Hell's angels they are getting busted left and right must be a drug war going on! some powerful people right under our noses and we turn the other cheek! Maybe the angels can start talking about who is the real kingpin in BC.Might make BC Rail look like a walk in the park all the way with CN to the USA. ( $ 9 billion plus buys many things)$1 billion will get you a Railroad.
  3. DavidSB posted on 11/21/2012 08:26 AM
    I tend to agree with him. People in gangs are in gangs not because they want to sell pot. They are in gangs because they are on the outside of society looking in. Many of these guys already have criminal records and very little hope of getting a normal job and settling down to a normal life. Selling drugs just happens to be the most lucrative thing they can do from their position. If the drugs go away they are still on the outside looking in so they will just step over to the next most lucrative illegal activity they can find.

    If they want to legalize the sale of drugs, using the gang argument is not a winning move. The gangs won't go away. Gangsters were the ones selling booze when it was illegal. When booze became legal to sell the gangsters just moved on to other things.

    If they want to stop the gang problems they need to look at ways of integrating these guys back into society. They have to get these guys 'back on the grid'. Doing away with one illegal revenue stream is not going to change things. Gangsters have to feed their families too
  4. Jartann posted on 11/21/2012 08:51 AM
    The reality won't change no matter how many ways this is debated. The underground drug distribution system will exist after marijuana legalization, so all the problems that creates will continue to exist. Taxing marijuana effectively raises its cost (tax money is not money found on trees) compared with untaxed marijuana, so there will be an incentive to deal off the books. And, the government will have a financial incentive to have the police take action against illegal sale of marijuana because now it costs government tax. So, nothing has changed.

    The original argument in favour of marijuana legalization had nothing to do with taxing and regulating it. The idea was that people found in possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal consumption should not be treated as hardened criminals. De facto, that is about where we are anyway.
    1. Garp posted on 11/21/2012 12:46 PM
      @Jartann I agree the tax argument is a red herring. Trafficking will still be illegal and I doubt that traffickers will submit any HST (LOL) or tax revenue to the government
    2. AnneH_4 posted on 11/21/2012 06:17 PM
      @Jartann Good points - I would like to see that people with their own personal use of marijuana not be charged....There are still people who were caught smoking in the 70's - they have a criminal record - and they still cannot go across the border. These are not hard core criminals.....
  5. nataliew_8930 posted on 11/21/2012 09:12 AM
    My body is my own and the police have absolutely no right whatsoever to tell me what I can do with my OWN body.
    1. RonS_25 posted on 11/21/2012 11:32 AM
      @nataliew_8930 Fine. Just so long as you don't expect my tax money spent on medical care for your body after you mess it up with meth.
    show more replies
  6. Ken280 posted on 11/21/2012 10:20 AM
    The money from drugs is laundered how else do you people think BC has fared so well in this recession, the underground drug trade that's how.housing cost out of touch for most but they can buy. They will have you believe it is all off shore money! Drug money leaves this country and comes back as off shore investment but I guess most of the people who comment here would not believe that for a moment. maybe because of invested interests! no one ever ask where is the money going,you hear buying coke and guns, you could equip an army with the best for (9 billion+)
    someone love to blow smoke up our butts and you people believe it! Find the drug money trail and you can fix the problem, do not say you can't no one has even tried.Just like the bait cars they catch the driver but do not follow it to the chop shop and catch them all! Did you ever wonder why?
    1. RonE_1902 posted on 11/21/2012 12:18 PM
      @Ken280 Yes such proceeds of crime go off shore and return by way of investment.

      Law enforcement as well does not want their tax dollars cut back.

      In fact they have asked for more and more each and every fiscal year to their benefit.
      When it comes to the likes of B.C. bud put the players out out business. Prohibition was a failure once upon a time we must remember but a lucrative tax base today.

      Society will not rot on the vine, and reefer madness just a convenient conservative ploy.
  7. charlies_8908 posted on 11/21/2012 11:34 AM
    Big difference between legalize and decriminalize.

    legalize allows big brother to become the dealer leading to higher prices and corruption as with liquor and pharmaceuticals. It is immoral to allow government to deal. It shifts the crooks from blue collar to white collar.

    decriminalization is nobody's business and off the books. No taxation, no persecution. It is the only solution protecting individuals freedom of choice and stop this silly war on plants.

    Drugs will always be here, we will always have a minority of addicts, deal with it. Provide treatment services and education.
    1. DeceitinDrugsD posted on 11/21/2012 01:16 PM
      @charlies_8908 A crook is a crook is a crook............
  8. RonE_1902 posted on 11/21/2012 12:09 PM
    Speaking as an ex-cop marijuana should be legal and Washington State to name one has it right.

    There are no gains in defending the hill as to keeping this illegal.

    What such a new approach does does is cut the taxpayer budget that goes to law enforcement.

    This is truly what the cops are not all that happy about.

    Say goodbye to the law enforcement budget for expenses such as high end SUV 's .
    1. Garp posted on 11/21/2012 12:44 PM
      @RonE_1902 My sense is that the cop on the street doesn't bother with simple possession, unless it's in his face - most don't waste their time; they go after the traffickers, so the budget argument I don't understand.
    show more replies
  9. Garp posted on 11/21/2012 12:11 PM
    Legalization of pot is a federal issue - the province has no jurisdiction to change the law here. It's different in the US where states have concurrent authority. The Feds will not change the law until the US Feds give Canada the nod. Changing the law in Canada without that "nod" will only result in retaliatory visa's to the US etc. It's all politics folks!
    1. RonE_1902 posted on 11/21/2012 12:22 PM
      @Garp Yes but the conservative in have their heads in the sand.

      If we had listened to them today we would still be governed by the like of the "Lords Day Act" where all businesses are closed.

      Yes the federal government regulates the Food and Drug Act and Criminal Code.

      That does not mean that they are contemporary in thinking or where society is today.
    show more replies
  10. SlimP_9860 posted on 11/21/2012 04:12 PM
    Gangs have and will always be around, no matter what. That doesn't change the fact that prohibition has failed, again, and that gangs, police, lawyers and the courts all gain much employment and income from it. That is why they resist legalization. Stop wasting our resources and start bringing in at least half a billion in tax revenue. We would all be better off for it.
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