Armstrong blazes prohibition

By Roger Knox - Vernon Morning Star

The City of Armstrong is supporting a provincial initiative calling for the taxation and legalization of marijuana.

Mayor Chris Pieper was among a number of Okanagan mayors who attended a presentation in Kelowna, hosted by Stop the Violence B.C., discussing the impact marijuana prohibition has had, along with options for policy change.

“We were shown surveys taken by different polling agencies, and the silent majority of B.C. is calling for changing rules to legalize then tax the use of marijuana, similar to alcohol and tobacco cigarettes,” said Pieper. “The war on marijuana has been lost. Police resources and court time are being consumed.”

Four former mayors of Vancouver – including Mike Harcourt and Sam Sullivan – agree with Stop the Violence B.C.’s assertion that the province “must move from a violent unregulated market to a strictly regulated cannabis market that is based on a public health framework.”

Armstrong council unanimously agreed to support the taxation and regulation of marijuana to address the ineffectiveness and harms of marijuana prohibition. They will forward their support for inclusion in motions to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).