I agree that while most Canadians support legalization of marijuana, they do not support "legalization" of methamphetamine or heroin.

Of course, the word "legalize" is a vague term which can mean many things. I don't advocate that injectable heroin be made as readily available as cannabis products should be. But perhaps opiates could be made legally available to those who are already addicted to them, under a doctor's prescription and supervision.

I think a growing number of Canadians now support terms like "harm reduction" and things like needle exchange and Supervised Injection Sites. The idea that using police and prisons as the primary way of dealing with illegal drug users is a failed effort.

I think a large number of Canadians would agree with the phrase "illegal drug use should be treated primarily as a health and social issue instead of as a criminal one."

If you take a look at the resolution we had put together for the NDP Convention, it is based more on a "tax and regulate" model for cannabis, and an acknowledgement that we need to come up with a better way of dealing with other drugs, based on principles other than criminalization.

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BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the NDP advocate for the elimination of all fines and criminal penalties for personal cultivation and possession of cannabis, and the establishment of a taxed and regulated framework for production and distribution of cannabis to adults;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NDP support a broad federal review of the impacts and harms caused by current drug 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, emphasizing prevention, public education, health promotion and safety.
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Whenever I speak about drug use, I try to point out that the main factors in the danger of using any substance is the dosage and potency. Injecting a pure version of any substance is generally going to be far more harmful, risky and addictive than drinking or eating a diluted version. So clearly injecting pure alcohol is far more risky than drinking a beer, just as injecting methamphetamine is far more risky than eating a pep pill. In the same way, chewing whole coca leaf is not harmful and could be considered beneficial, while injecting pure cocaine is much more risky and harmful. This is different than our usual way of thinking about these plants and substances, and certainly our laws make no difference between coca leaf and pure cocaine, or between a mild opiate drink and injectable heroin.