Drug testing to detect and refer for treatment is a good thing; drug testing simply to catch and expose users not so good. While a combination of the two may not be so bad, to focus exclusively on drug testing is to sidestep a wider debate that needs to be had. It ignores events and developments elsewhere which are pointing to a new direction — and this is the point to which I alluded in my column last week.To those readers who wonder why, a brief summary for your consideration: -* CNN medical correspondent and high-profile practitioner Dr Sanjay Gupta has done a complete public reversal on marijuana. He has looked more closely at the medical research on medical marijuana and concedes that it can help treat conditions from chronic pain to post-traumatic stress disorder.* US Attorney General Eric Holder has admitted publicly that America’s drug laws have been a failure and have wrongly punished and injured millions of young people. He told the American Bar Association a few weeks back that the Obama Administration now wants to move away from a policy of handing out harsh sentences for many drug-related crimes, and to do away with mandatory minimum sentences for low-level, first-time and/or casual users. They want to divert these offenders instead to treatment programmes rather than treat them like hardened criminals. Moreover, the US AG said that he thought their harsh judicial system may have been doing more harm than good by perpetuating cycles of poverty and desperation among young black men and other minorities in the United States. On any view, this is a startling turnaround and represents a major shift in attitudes, regardless of how quickly or successful the new policy is translated into action.* Canada’s top cops are proposing that tickets instead of criminal charges be handed out for users who are caught with small amounts of marijuana. The resolution was adopted this week by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where hundreds of senior Canadian law-enforcement officials gathered to discuss and vote on ideas they say reflect progressive changes in policing. They want the police to have the discretion to hand out tickets to divert people away from the criminal justice system and thereby reduce pressures on police and court resources for minor pot possession; issuing a ticket would involve a fine, not no criminal record. They already have the power to issue a caution in appropriate cases rather than charge. A debate now ensues on what should constitute a minor amount for the purposes of exercising that discretion. The figure being bandied out is 30 grammes or less.* But there are those in the political mainstream who think that even this does not go far enough. The relatively young and new leader of the federal Liberal Party in Canada, Justin Trudeau, is not so much in favour of decriminalising marijuana as he is in legalising it so it can be taxed and regulated. The monies raised will be used to fund programmes to curb usage (much like they have successfully done with tobacco) and to underwrite treatment centres. He has promised that this will be a plank in his party’s platform in the next election.* Young Mr Trudeau is not alone. It was not that long ago that the Organisation of American States published a report recommending legalisation of marijuana as the way to combat more effectively the social and economic costs of outright prohibition.* There are also some interesting moves afoot in Washington. According to one report I read this week, there is a bill before the House of Representatives to legalise marijuana, tax it and regulate it; although even its advocates admit there is little chance it will pass anytime soon. But legislators there cannot ignore that the drug has already been given the legal OK in some states, even if it is for medicinal purposes, and that there are tax consequences for those in the business of production. As the US Congress wrestles with its budget issues, and a major deficit problem, those producers continue to point out that legislation and taxation (as with alcohol) will add billions of dollars to the Government coffers.For many of us, myself included, much of the above represents a tough about-face, but there is no denying the merit in re-examining and discussing, openly and honestly, practices, programmes and procedures which have effectively been failing.Share your views by blogging on The Royal Gazette website (www.royalgazette.com) or writing jbarritt@ibl.bm.