Supporting the LEAP Concept

Jerry Paradis retired as a judge for the Provincial Court of British Columbia, in 2003. During his time on the bench, he dealt with over a thousand cases involving the possession, trafficking, or production of drugs. His experiences led him to become a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), an organization comprised of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities who speak out about the failures of existing drug policies.

He is visiting New Zealand as an Executive Board Member of LEAP to present to the NZ Law Commission's review on Drug Policy and the Law, and to undertake speaking engagements around the country from 20 August to 7 September.

LEAP Promotional video

In the US from 1972 to 1978, eleven states decriminalized marijuana possession (covering one-third of the US population) and 33 other states reduced punishment to probation with record erased after six months to one year. Yet, after 1978 marijuana use steadily declined for over a decade. Decriminalization did not increase marijuana use.
[Source: National Research Council, "Informing America's Policy On Illegal Drugs: What We Don't Know Keeps Hurting Us" (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001), pp. 192-193.]