@ Jacos Hunter CONTRIBUTOR If you grow one cannabis plant you face a six month mandatory minimum sen- tence. If you grow that one cannabis plant in a rental home, you face a nine month mandatory minimum sentence. Welcome to Ste- phen Harper’s Drug War. On November 20th, the Conservative Party intro- duced bill C26, amend- ments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The bill imposes mandatory minimum sentences on a host of drug related crimes with the stated goal of mak- ing our streets safer. According to the Rand Corporation 1997 study on mandatory minimum sen- tences, the authoritative study in the field, mandatory minimums are the least cost effective strategy in deal- ing with drug crimes. The most cost-effective? Treat- ment. In fact, mandatory minimums often increased crime rates as supplies constrained, which in turn created higher profits, lead- ing to more violence. Man- datory minimums, it was found, served to vastly in- crease the prison population while transferring senten- cing discretion from judges to prosecutors. Simply put, mandatory minimum sen- tences simply don’t work. According to Stephen Easton, an economist with Simon Fraser University, cannabis production is a $7 billion a year industry in British Columbia alone, making it the largest single resource industry in the province. If legalized, can- nabis would contribute $2 billion in additional tax revenue to the provincial government. That is $2 bil- lion dollars that currently, according to Easton, serves as a primary fuel source for organized crime. According to the Fraser Institute, legalization would reduce crime, and would make our streets safer. In- creasing penalties would have the opposite effect, by constraining supplies, increasing profits and in turn, the likelihood of vio- lence which in turn raises the crime rate. This isn’t speculation, it’s based on scientific study of all avail- able evidence. There is sim- ply no justification for this course of action on the part of the Conservatives. And finally, according to Letters to the Editor Protest against Harper’s Drug War the 2002 Senate Commit- tee review of all available evidence, cannabis is a relatively benign substance, certainly not worth crimin- alizing and out to be legal- ized, taxed and regulated. All the experts agree, and as usual, Stephen Harper is alone on the other side of the room, finger firmly in his ears, reading Richard Nixon’s memoirs with a smile. Instead of legalizing can- nabis, Stephen Harper seeks to spend millions of dol- lars building prisons, two new ones in British Colum- bia alone according to Dr Darryl Plecas of University College of the Fraser Valley. Plecas estimates we would need to house an additional 700 inmates within the first year of this bill becoming law. Plecas, it is worth not- ing, works for the RCMP against the legalization of cannabis, yet even he thinks this bill is a terrible idea. My name is Jacob Hunter, I am a UNBC student, and I am living in Vancouver instead of going to school because there are no decent jobs in Prince George. I moved here in June and now work for Cannabis Culture as their Activist/Organizer, and I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty fun, but also a hell of a lot of work. On Sunday, November 25th, Cannabis Activists met in Vancouver and To- ronto to discuss plans to stop bill C26. We came up. with some preliminary plans, and spent the next 2 days communicating with people all over the coun- try. On Tuesday the 27th, we met again, with greater numbers and contacts from all over Canada and final- ized our plans. We are calling for a Na- tional Day of Action on December 17th, 2007, at all 308 Members of Parlia- ments Constituency Offices to protest Bill C26. We want people in attendance to come dressed either in Prison Uniforms or formal attire (suit if possible). This event has to be non-smok- ing as prominent national politicians will be in at- tendance. We are going to formulate media campaign based on imagery of ordin- ary Canadians sent to prison for one marijuana plant. The marketing and political gurus in attendance were very insistent that this must be about sending messages through emotive imagery, that we can and must create sympathy; introduce people to the reality that cannabis users are everyday people from all groups, professions and backgrounds. We are in the process of selecting specific phrases to be used in any relations between protesters and the media for this event, with tefined and focus grouped statements, so that we have the highest level ofcoordina- tion and impact with our “7- 14 seconds” of video on the nightly news. It is important to note that the group most likely to support Bill C26, and the group most against legalization is women with children, usually based on a fear response. We need to convey a highly sympa- thetic image and message at these events, which means not wearing or saying any- thing that would scare the stereotypical mother. I know how many Can- nabis Activists in waiting there are at UNBC and in Prince George, and I know that you guys will be put- ting on one of the most professional protests in the country on December 17th, showing Canada that pro- gressive politics aren’t just in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. It’s probably worth noting that anyone who gets on TV dressed appropriately and on message will be getting $100 in Cannabis Culture merchandise. Keep check- ing the CannabisCulture. com website for updates. In 2002, while living in Prince George, I worked briefly for Dick Harris, the MP for your riding pp there, I was even the director of policy for his riding asso- ciation. Dick once told me that Cannabis users were degenerates, addicts and losers, that even if every single person in the com- munity wanted cannabis legalized he would still vote to send people to prison. Is this the kind of person you want to represent you? On December 17th, go to Dick Harris’ office on Vic- toria Street, between 17th and 20th. Stand outside and show Dick Harris that Can- nabis users aren’t degener- ates, aren’t losers, and at the same time show the country that we will no longer stand by while thousands of Can- adians are thrown in jail for growing a harmless plant. If you have any questions, contact me directly, at ar- plar@gmail.com. democratic right. Ciaran Olsen OVER THE EDGE December 5, 2007-January 9, 2008 BC NDP erodes democracy I’m writing in response to Carole James’ announcement that the BC NDP will have a quota system for electing candidates in the upcoming provincial election. This is a form of reverse discrimination that will deprive quality candidates of the right to run for election with the party of their choice. Further, this policy is an insult to minorities and women, because it implies that they cannot get elected on their own and need special assistance to compete. By appointing its candidates on the basis of race and gender instead of allowing its members and the voters of BC to vote for whom they think is the best candidate, the BC NDP is eroding democracy and depriving the public of its We’re stuck in cell phone history By SHiracey Liu Tue EYEoPeneR (Ryerson University) TORONTO (CUP) -- The cell phone may have been invented 60 years ago by our closest neighbours, but those friendly ties haven’t helped us keep with the times. While other countries have begun to use their cells as a stool to pay bills, a credit card “and a means to surf the web, Canadians seem content mak- ing a couple calls and perhaps taking a snapshot. “We’re about the average of where the developed world was in 2001,” said Catherine Middleton, a professor of In- formation Technology Man- agement Ryerson University. The reasons for the un- enviable position are exten- sive say experts. Some point at the big three (Telus, for medium use whil Bell, Rogers) oligopoly. Others say our landmass makes good deals difficult. And lastly, a surprising num- ber of experts agree: consum- ers should look in the mirror. Fortunately, the government is now paying a bit of lip ser- vice to the issue. Recently, it mentioned it may set aside some spectrum — needed to offer service — specifically for smaller com- panies. The hope is such a sale scheme, scheduled for early 2008, will encourage greater competition and maybe stop users from getting less cellu- lar bang for their buck. “It’s difficult for small com- panies to buy space because they don’t have the capital capability and need a certain amount of infrastructure in order to provide these servi- ces,” said Roy Ng, a former area vice-president for Avaya Canada Inc., a communica- tion systems and applications company. But beyond spectrum, there are a few other issues with Canada’s cell phone situation. The cell phone seems to have a tendency towards slow evo- lution. Sixty years ago, AT&T proposed increasing radio spectrum frequencies to pro- mote more wide-spread mobile phone service. But when they asked the American Federal Communications Commission to help with funding, it was a no go. About 25 years later, the U.S. changed its mind. Canadians also pay more for cell services than other coun- tries, especially for data plans, the ones that allow relatively easy and cheap Internet ca- pabilities. In Europe, the policy of un- limited free incoming calls used for land lines was adopted ilar service comes at $9. by the cellular world, meaning most incoming calls on cells don’t cost a Euro. Technology that allows users to make fund transfers, bill payments and receive balance alerts through their cell phones have been adopted whole- heartedly by Japan, Korea and Singapore. In Canada, the high price of accessing Internet and related services has limited the use of mobile banking services. Canadians pay about $48 each month for medium use while in Denmark, similar ser- vice comes at $9. University of Alberta profes- sor Gordon Gow said for cost to go down, demand must go up. “What needs to be done is encourage people to start using phones for access ... to use them more like the computers that they are.” Jasmine Li, though, a Telus sales representative, said that customers seem happy with the options. “Most of our services are available because of the low competition,” she said. “If there was higher demand for the features, new companies are more likely to emerge to offer them.” Middleton doesn’t see this stopping after the spectrum auction. “J don’t have a lot of hope that it will go to anyone else other than the existing play- ers,” she said. Consumers and corporations are working together to degrade Canada’s cell phone technol- ogy, Ng said. “To say that one side is the victim and other side is reaping all the benefits is not right.” A lack of consumers. has: harmed the indus-. Canadians pay about $48 each month try, jeading to higher e in Denmark, sim- Ptices and decreasing the technological pos- sibilities for Canadian cell phones. The Japanese and Europeans may be able and willing to buy a cell that offers a number of additional and intriguing fea- tures, but Canadians aren’t in- terested in paying full price for a brand new phone. Meaning contracts are a sales company’s bread and butter. “Tt’s not a free lunch. If you’re not paying for the phone, what are you complaining about? The consumer is putting them- selves in a less compatible situ- ation,” Ng said.