WHEREAS, despite almost a century of prohibition, millions of Canadians today regularly consume marijuana and other cannabis products;
WHEREAS the failed prohibition of marijuana has exhausted countless billions of dollars spent on ineffective or incomplete enforcement and has resulted in unnecessarily dangerous and expensive congestion in our judicial system;
WHEREAS various marijuana decriminalization or legalization policy prescriptions have been recommended by the 1969-72 Commission of Enquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs, the 2002 Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, and the 2002 House of Commons Special Committee on the Non-Medical Use of Drugs;
WHEREAS the legal status quo for the criminal regulation of marijuana continues to endanger Canadians by generating significant resources for gang-related violent criminal activity and weapons smuggling – a reality which could be very easily confronted by the regulation and legitimization of Canada’s marijuana industry;
BE IT RESOLVED that a new Liberal government will legalize marijuana and ensure the regulation and taxation of its production, distribution, and use, while enacting strict penalties for illegal trafficking, illegal importation and exportation, and impaired driving;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a new Liberal government will invest significant resources in prevention and education programs designed to promote awareness of the health risks and consequences of marijuana use and dependency, especially amongst youth;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a new Liberal government will extend amnesty to all Canadians previously convicted of simple and minimal marijuana possession, and ensure the elimination of all criminal records related thereto;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a new Liberal government will work with the provinces and local governments of Canada on a coordinated regulatory approach to marijuana which maintains significant federal responsibility for marijuana control while respecting provincial health jurisdiction and particular regional concerns and practices.
Young Liberals of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada (British Columbia)
Not sure if Canadians are ready for this yet. How about decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana? This year Connecticut became the 14th U.S. state to decriminalization small amounts of pot.
Legalize it
I completely agree! The U.S. Has come up with a way to legalize all of Canada should as well it wopuld save the tax payers a crap load of money!
Jamie For years all I have heard is there going to table the law again. At this point as on the news it has been decrimminalized! I get really annoyed at the amount of people who use this paticular issue as either a way to get politicians votes which they probably Don’t about or use it as a way to be abusive. Legalizing it where like alcohol it would be subject to government control would be a benefactor in the long run. How much time of the court is wasted by the amount of charges laid by the police concerning this subject not only that but also the amount of money that would be saved overall.
Gasp! What would the Americans think?
There is really no reason for the government to officially demonise marijuana anymore. It’s a waste of massive amounts of money and manpower, and it makes no sense. Of all illicit drugs it is by far the safest and most commonly used. The law is essentially a joke and finally removing it could be a huge push to our international reputation with many countries (not to mention a boost to tourism).
But of course we have our southern neighbors. They continue this pointless crusade and legalising marijuana would likely alienate our closest trading partner and ally. This resolution takes pains to assure that illegal trading and smuggling would be strictly penalized and monitored, and of this we really need to convince the US. This is no small problem – I imagine for many in power it’s the biggest obstacle to finally removing this law.
This is an issue that seriously needs to be discussed, though, and this might be our only chance to finally address it.
I concur – couldn’t have said it better.
However much I would like Canada to take an enlightened approach to drugs (and definitely end the incentive to criminal distribution of them). As this resolution is phrased, it should not be supported.
The Liberal Party can call for a national consultation and study of legalization of drugs. But without that done, and done very well, the Liberal Party cannot call for legalization of marijuana.
Firstly, Canada has international agreements regarding the drug enforcement. And legalization of marijuana would have ramifications to our participation in international law enforcement.
Other problems that need to addressed. (Notwithstanding the items I list below are already problems, for legalization to proceed without addressing them is impossible.
… People driving under the influence (is there a roadside test.)
… People smoking marijuana where there are children in the home, inhaling the smoke.
… People showing up at work under the influence, and perhaps operating equipment.
These are consequences to people other than the user, and although these already occur happen we must consider these issues and their solutions. One comment refers to legalization of small quantities by some American States. This is information that should be compiled and examined.
It is obvious that criminalization of drugs leads to criminal distribution, and a variety of social and health issues. The fact that criminalization creates these issues is grounds for a national consultation and study; but until that is done it would be irresponsible for the Liberal Party call for legalization of marijuana.
If anyone is wondering about the term gateway drug let me explain and enlighten. The term gateway is a reference to people experimenting with Marijuana then moving on to harder drugs. The Association of Canadian Police Chiefs reluctance to back reforming marijuana laws is due to this problem. However the reason Marijuana gets this bad rap is because it is sold by drug dealers (pushers). If you remove the sale of the most popular recreational drug Marijuana from criminal elements voila you go a long way towards making it no longer a gateway drug. Pushers know their profit margins are way better with the sale of Cocaine and other hard drugs. The term drug pusher is not a coincidence they will tell young people “hey man have you tried cocaine or crystalmeth its the wildest you have to try it“. Remove the link between criminal gangs who supply drugs to street level dealers and marijuana and you have done millions of young people a great service.
I beleive that legalizing marijuana is an up-stream social experiment. We should de-criminalize it to avoid the over a million crimial records of Candians being further convicted and taunted by what they have done in the past.
I am unsure of this.
I am only sure that until the perception of the POSSIBILITY that marijuana might perhaps be a gateway drug, the public perception may not be in favour of this idea.
Until such a time I would say no to the above, until the myth is disproven or proven we cannot in good moral standing approve this resolution.
Concretely dispel the myth, then by all means proceed.
I suggest you give this document a read through, you may like it!
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/371/ille/library/discussion-e.pdf
I’d first like to state that I am a non-smoker, tobacco or otherwise.
I think marijuana should be treated just like alcohol, subject to the same controls. The laws regarding where it can be used should be the same as tobacco. All the laws that are already in place re: alcohol & tobacco would address the concerns others have mentioned.
It would be a boon to tax revenues and it would take away revenue to crime organizations. Law enforcement should be focused on REAL drugs: cocaine, meth, illegally obtained prescription drugs, etc. These are the drugs that cause problems in our communities, not pot.
In its current writing, I do not support this resolution.
I do, however, support the decriminalization of cannabis.
The evidence for decriminalization is clear. Science has proven the risks associated with marijuana use, and it now falls to Liberals to have an education and communication strategy which identifies these risks, and communicates them in the same way we have been educated on the risks of tobacco, alcohol, sugar, processed foods etc. etc.
If we assume a certain number of people smoke marijuana, and will always moke marijuana (legal or not), then the debate becomes the unnecessary criminalization of certain behaviours, with great social and financial cost.
However, as with alcohol and tobacco, if the focus is on preventing vulnerable young people from trying marijuana until they are older, then we may be able to reduce or defer the associated harms.
It must be part of an overall crime prevention/health strategy.
shavluk – I fear you may have misunderstood my comments.
In brief, the physical effects of marijuana use are very similar to those experienced by cigarette smokers. There is much evidence to validate my position. The research is not so definitive on the emotional/addictive effects. Nor does the evidence definitively prove whether marijuana use in and of itslf is a gateway drug to other, more serious substances. I encourage you to google, “The health effects of smoking cannabis” or any other phraseology you choose.
So if we assume the evidence exists, that debate becomes moot. My position is that there are significant health risks to smoking marijuana. However, as with other substances (sugar, processed food etc), users must be in a position to make informed choices.
Prohibition in the 30s didn’t work, our draconian drug laws don’t work, and I believe decriminalization/regulation is the answer. Criminalizing pot smokers, as part of an overall “drug strategy” is inappropriate and ineffective.
Instead, I would like to see more resources put into education of the effects of marijuana use, targeting young people. Adults will smoke or not. And to be honest, that is irrelevant to me. Young people, however, developmentally are impulsive and very susceptible to the influence of peers, parents and advertising. In the same way that an anti-tobacco campaign had a significant impact on cigarette smoking among young people, I feel a similar strategy would work specific to marijuana use.
I agree that marijuana users are unlikely to commit armed robberies or other violent crimes to finance their habits. The greatest risk, as I see it, is on their grocery bill – most especially relating to chips, chocolate, cake…..you get my point.
My second point relates to crystal meth, crack cocaine, heroin etc. These drugs are the scourge of society and do have long-term societal impacts that affect not just the user, but all citizens.
An effective drug strategy would include a mult-pronged approach:
Education (prevention)
Harm reduction (intervention)
Enforcement (suppression)
I feel the focus on marijuana is inappropriate, ineffective and unnecessary. I further feel that this resolution is obliquely worded and does not go far enough in the education of young people.
While I would place myself to the right of Attilla the Hun on the political spectrum in relation to a number of issues, my 28 years of policing has led to a considerably softer and more realistic stance on our great Cannabis debate. The sooner this stuff is legalized & strictly regulated, the better… as mentioned earlier in this conversation, PM TRUDEAU saw fit to put together the LeDAIN Commission in ’69… I strongly suggest our justice committee take it out, dust it off and read the damn thing… 42 years later we are STILL making criminals out of 18 yr olds with a few joints in their possession… now THAT is a crime in my humble opinion. Police forces across this country (and subsequently our criminal justice system) are spending untold multi-millions annually… the only end result being criminal organizations making considerably higher profits with fluctuating supply and increasing demand. We chase this stuff because it’s real simple to generate numbers… while Methamphetamine, Oxycontin and the opiate derivatives are reeking widespread havoc with our youth.
Don’t bother wasting time & effort on this “de-criminalization” sham… if 30 grams or less is NOT a criminal offence, then only the lawyers will get richer over the course of the next 10-15 years … ultimately & SUCCESSFULLY arguing to “the supremes”…that “my client’s kilo contains exactly the same product as the “de-criminalized” 30 grams!!!!!”
Our demographics are currently perfect for this debate :-) The economic implications of the legalization of this relatively harmless herb are STAGGERING!!
Anyone with any doubts whatsoever as to the considerable benefits derived from this ancient herb, need only google “medical cannabis” and review the Wikipedia site.
Professionally managed, this single issue has the potential for the Liberal party to once again provide a viable alternative to the current government.
SMART ON CRIME, I like that. This would be smart on crime.
I’ve read somewhere that 85% of the crime in the country is related to drugs. That most of the money that the crime organizations make are from drugs. So we need to look at who has an interest in keeping the status quo:
1) The Drug Importers
2) The Manufacturers of Illegal Drugs
3) The Criminal organizations that distribute the
drugs.
4) The local Crime Boss, and his front people.
5) The people selling drugs on the street corners.
6) The people selling drugs on our school grounds.
You all know of these guys, but have you considered:
7) The lawyers who defend the criminals in court.
8) The lobbyists who are working the halls of
government and justice.
9) The police force, who receive funding based on the
size of the Drug problem. The police have no
interest at all in catching the the drug pushers
and closing down their organizations.
10) How about our prisons, without drug offenders they
would have to close half of them.
11) Judges, Crown Prosecutors, court personal etc.
12) How about the whole drug enforcement system.
The list just goes on and on: All these people have an interest in keeping the system as it is.
So how do we stop it?
To stop it you need to take the profit motive out of it.
So how do we do this?
Well let’s start by treating drug addiction as a disease (which it is) and giving the addicts prescriptions for
their drugs. You then have a chance to reach these people and maybe turn their lives around, at the very least you take them off the street. Reducing street crime, break and entries, prostitution, muggings etc.
Addicts would be getting cleaner drugs, and clean needles, reducing the costs to the health care system.
This is complicated and start up is costly, no where near as costly as the crime it would replace, and the legal system the drug trade supports. Complicated yes, not as complicated as the system we are running now.
Next step legalize recreational drugs, and sell them through government outlets. Costly start up but would very quickly pay the cost of the whole preventive system. Also, people would be getting cleaner drugs, and would be less likely to try street drugs.
There would be very little reason for the development of new recreational drugs, (no money in it).
There would be no one at our schools pushing drugs at our children.
Our Police and court system could be refocused on other hard core crime problems.
Over time, the number of addicted people would drop, but the big change would be people coming into the system from the hard drug side of things.
There would no longer be a profit motive, at least not on any great scale.
Families in this country are looking for leadership that recognizes their responsibilities as the educators and nurturers of their children. I know very few parents who want there children/teens to use marijuana. As for college students, the demands made on them re:studies,academics,trades,debt burdens should caution them about recreational use of marijuana which has an effect on IQ and performance on the job. What about the effect on writing exams? I would ask about the use of this drug on the job? Are we protecting the rights of using this on the job after a day’s use? What about liability for mistakes made from ‘cannabinoids” in the system after use. I understand they are unpredictable in their time of resurfacing.Fetal Marijuana Syndrome is another thing to think about? What about the link between schizophrenia and marijuana.
http://www.schizophrenia.com/prevention/streetdrugs.html
http://www.theweekly.com/news/2004/February/07/MDD_Drugs.html
@shavluk
I am wondering, and I am directing this at you because you are one of the most vocal on this issue, so your opinions and knowledge carry some weight with how I perceive the righteousness of this issue, if you could inform me of the following.
1. – unlike alcohol, I understand growing cannabis is fairly straightforward (or perhaps even just not so complicated), so how are we to regulate the sale and purchase of a government endorsed product?
2. – are there detectable signs of impairment or does impairment even happen while making use of cannabis recreationally?
3. – if impairment does occur is there a simple roadside test to indicate impairment?
4. – can it impair a users ability to perform certain jobs and functions?
5. – would there be regulation of the quantity an individual could buy legally, and if so, would an underground market exist after this quantity is exceeded?
6. – would the price point of regulated cannabis sales be an incentive to purchase from an underground market as opposed to the regulated market (given that a large amount of the price on cigarettes – and rightly so – is tax)?
7. – would it have any perceived impact on our border crossings with the U.S., and our intent to make border crossings easier for vehicles and pedestrians who commonly travel back and forth between Canada and the U.S.?
8. – would it have any impact on the undefended border between ourselves and the U.S.?
I realize you may not have answers to all of these questions, so anyone who does have any input, please feel free to chime in.
Thanks
Finally… and the rest of them too.
The root of drugs… is WALLSTREET and the CIA!
The black ops funded by the drug profits… the ‘liquidity’ of corporations and banks… ALL of it comes from the illegal CORPORATE drug trade.
The Taliban reduced opium production by 95%.
The USA took over… and it is now producing more opium and breaking records in production EVERY YEAR!
Yea.. just a co-winky-dink.
There should be mandated government clinics… like a drug store. Full information given, programs to combat addiction (for those that have an addictive personality, yes, there is a psychological component to drug use).
Take away the PROFIT… and the crime will disappear.
And you get to strike a revenge blow to the very first corporate hegemony on the planet after oil… DuPont and plastics. (For which all plastics can come from hemp by the way).
Seriously… just legalize this stuff. I don’t use it. I think its just stupid… but the criminalization of a habit that is HUMAN (escapism, mental coping, etc)… is beyond ridiculous.
A Marijuana History Lesson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlGQPuGA-8M
SMART ON CRIME
To deny the existance of a drug problem in our society, is to put your head in the sand.
Deinal is not the answer, so give us some solid options.
WHO DO YOU WANT SELLING YOUR DRUGS TO YOUR KITS AND GRAND KIDS. THAT ANSWER IS EASY. NO ONE!!
WHEN YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER IS HOOKED. YOU WANT HER/HIM GETTING A FIX ON THE STREET CORNER FOR $20.
So let us here your suggestions. Denial will not make the problem go away.
@ Richard
I can see your passion for doing something about drugs and our kids. This is a multifaceted problem with no easy solution.
First… we cant solve any problem without knowing the facts. If you want to talk of denial, here is the biggest river in Egypt you will find…
Our government is in the drug trade. Maybe not Canada, but I bet if you look hard enough, you will find it.
THE CIA DRUG DEALERS BUSTED, FINALLY. Michael Ruppert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReNjdUmpmJY
This is reality folks. The “war on drugs” is a sham. It is a business and the USA and CIA are the owners and operators.
That is the root, now what about the branches.
There is a major problem at home. Divorce… has destroyed the family. There is ZERO stability in many kids lives. Church… was a community bond of all classes and types. I am not advocating religion although I do personally believe in God, but the faith of the religious minded community engendered knowledge of and concern for the welfare of Dick and Jane, no matter whose kids they were. Religion also advocates a role for mother and father, husband and wife, as a team, as partners, in raising children. Mom… was at home, or at least she was when I was growing up. Who was the first person I could turn to with a problem? Mom and Dad. Where is that support now? Both parents work… so Facebook friends and TV become the substitute. This too cannot be fixed overnight, but secular and feminist ideology suggests, “the family” is a model for society that is obsolete and oppressive. Maybe we should instead ask our kids… if they would like BOTH Mom and Dad in their lives and ONE parent at home, usually the mother, for guidance and support.
Drugs… are a pain killer. Drugs… numb the senses. Drugs… take you away from life and make you forget the pain and hurt and fear and depression.
Drugs… are what children are using in record numbers to NUMB THEMSELVES to society. To FEEL NOTHING for life or for their own soul.
You want to get kids off drugs?
Make it “uncool” by making it legal and affordable. The whole point of doing drugs is the psychological stimulus of belonging to the in crowd, to people who accept you. If your parents don’t, who are you going to turn to?
Make it cheap, clean and easy to access… and the addicted WILL NOT commit crimes. This has been proven with study after study
That said… the Vancouver Police have said the free needle clinic has only made things worse in the downtown core. I believe, that is because while there is emphasis on helping addicts get clean, there is no FORCED program of detox and social support.
I think we need to “get tough”… not with incarceration and jail terms as the Cons would believe… but with money spent on a TRUE detox and rehabilitation program. Not some volunteer basis respecting the ‘rights’ of the individual. Drug addiction… is a SOCIAL PROBLEM, not an individual one. We ALL suffer because of it, so it is up to society, not the individual who has clearly failed to look out for themselves, to get clean and back on their feet.
No addict… wants to be an addict. Why ask them if they would “like” to get clean and leave it up to them? If an addict knows they will get the support they need… get clean… and have the support to re-integrate their lives into society… they will line up. As it is, these voluntary clinics are underfunded and still socially looked down upon. If people would just put away THEIR moral judgements of such people and realize they need HELP… we could do a lot I think with a country wide program of detox and rehabilitation.
I understand the need for an addict to “buy in” to his own recovery… but if it is ALWAYS left up to him or her… they will ultimately fail.
Addicts… need the tough love of a parent, not a jail cell.
Fund a program that would provide drugs at minimal cost, this should NOT be free, and you will begin to remove the cancer at its source.
Preventing kids from getting into drugs… will be harder. Even with low fee clinics, most normal kids may still opt for street sellers. But with legalization, it will no longer be behind closed doors and in back alleys. It will be open and both the public and parents will be aware of what is going on.
Alcohol… was once illegal and look at the mess (and the profit) it created.
I think it is high time (pun intended) to let adults decide for themselves what they wish to put into their bodies or not.
Over time… drugs will remain a problem, much like alcoholism. But at least… there can be awareness and programs to help just like with alcoholism.
Right now… under the Cons… all our kids are going to receive is a jail cell and a criminal record for simply trying to fit in and numb the pain of broken homes and strained parental relations.
This problem… starts at home… and it is high time adults started realizing that no matter how “good” they think they have been as a parent, if your kid is into drugs, it is because they are MISSING something at home.
I never for even one second considered taking drugs. That was because the love of my parents was always there, anytime, day or night, to talk about anything.
If your kid is not talking to you… THAT IS A GLARING SIGN something is wrong at home.
If families would SLOW DOWN… take the TV out of the kitchen… and eat ONE MEAL A DAY together… AS A FAMILY… statistics have shown drug and teen sex rates drop like a stone.
The government can’t mandate individuals to become better parents and families… but if we don’t look at our so called “modern and progressive” secular society of distraction, debt, and depression… nothing we do… will save our kids from drugs.
If your kid is doing drugs… look in the mirror. Denial… at its most potent and painful.
I have a feeling I will get a lot of flack for saying that… but the truth was never a sweet pill to swallow. Just as Socrates.
It’s high time we can buy marijuana from an LCBO-like establishment. Prohibition didn’t work, and keeping plant illegal is preposterous!
Hey we are loosing focus here! Let have some solid ideas and discussion about the drug problem.
How, would we as the LPC pitch to the public making drug addition a disease to be treated instead of a prision term? How, would we house, feed, cloth these people. How do you put a value on hte non-committing of a crime?
How could we attack (we don’t want to be put on the defensive here) the HARPERMENT of CANADA’s big dumb dork approch to the drug problem?
@ Richard… making the pitch for legalization and treatment.
This is how I would word.
1) Acknowledge that the individual is PERSONALLY responsible for their actions. This will please BLUE types and some Liberals.
2) Acknowledge that society has a SOCIAL responsibility to help those who have become addicts get treatment, not judgement.
This does two things as I highlighted.
It acknowledge personal actions in life are ones own. They choose to do drugs. They must confront that choice that led them to addiction.
It acknowledges that even if one is responsible for ones actions… that DOES NOT allow society to judge and condemn them to a prison cell…. which solves nothing.
In short…
Responsibility… and care… are the tone the legislation should set.
Every Canadian will support such legislation. It is the BALANCED approach… the Liberal way.
@ Richard.
Quote: “How, would we as the LPC pitch to the public making drug addition a disease to be treated instead of a prision term? How, would we house, feed, cloth these people. How do you put a value on hte non-committing of a crime?”
This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. THIS is the discussion we need to bring to the convention.
Can you imagine the effect of putting the $$$ Harper is going to spend on prisons and enforcement into TREATMENT and getting addicts off hard drugs?
Stunning concept… I know.
How do we sell legalizing recreational drug? Which ones? We back that up with the toughess, set of laws on the books. No get out of jail cards, for drug dealers, importers, etc. Any thing not under the recreational category goes to the addiction side. Perscription drugs.
The thing I love about this policy is how the revenue it generates enable us to cut taxes for the poor, increase social spending and reduce the deficit all at the same time. This is a big winner.
Interesting article on drug legalization in Portugal and Netherlands. Here is one quote:
“Portugal decriminalized possession of all drugs in 2001. The outcome, after nearly a decade, according to a study published in the November issue of the British Journal of Criminology: less teen drug use, fewer HIV infections, fewer AIDS cases and more drugs seized by law enforcement. Adult drug use rates did slightly increase — but this increase was not greater than that seen in nearby countries that did not change their drug policies. The use of drugs by injection declined.”
- http://www.inmalafide.com/blog/2011/11/24/the-effectiveness-of-the-war-on-drugs-vs-legalization-in-portugal-the-netherlands/
To those who have brought up claims that cannabis is a cause of schizophrenia, the evidence tends to refute those claims.
Over the last 20 years, there has been a steady, slow decline in schizophrenia rates in Britain, while in the same period there has been a steady increase in cannabis use.
I have seen a number of (government funded) studies that attempted to infer causality from associational statistics. Karl Pearson, the father of statistical mathematics, would have flunked everybody who makes that mistake. As an example, consider the fact that every morning, just before the sun rises, the cock crows. Based upon the perfect association and the time relationship of the events, would you infer that the rooster crow causes the sun to rise? Such inference errors are very common in medical literature.
Correct causal inference generally requires very carefully designed experiments and the use of Bayesian statistical methods. When proper statistical methods are brought to bear, it is consistently found that cannabis use is unlikely to *cause* schizophrenia.
On the other hand, alcohol use is behind a huge fraction of mental health problems, yet we do not interfere with individual choice.
Liberals should support this resolution because to do otherwise perpetuates the racist and religious prejudices that historians tell us gave rise to cannabis prohibition in the first place.
Finally, I do think the Party of Laurier should consider the fact that Laurier opposed alcohol prohibition, based both on liberal principles and on the anticipated rise in organized crime. Lsurier was right, and exactly the same reasoning applies to the equally foolish prohibition against cannabis.
As long is the THC and the CBD are regulated as with alcohol, legalizing it is better than the current alternative.
I have no personal wish to alter reality, but for those who do, there isn’t much difference in damage between the two. There will always be addicts and abusers.
Let me start by saying that I suport the resolution, and I hope that it passes.
I believe that Jonathan Toma is right that our southern neighbor is a stumbling block but not only on this subject,but a series of others as well. By standing up here in Canada (the best country in the world)for progresive polisies we can oppose neo-conservetives here and south, it would definatly steer the pot(ha ha),in this time of 1% vs. 99% this might not be so easy to oppose even in the US.
I understand that over half our population has tried marijuana.We can not accept to have them all be criminelized.
As we are looking for relavence with Canadian electorate and a way to mobilize, we need to stand for some real principals that resonate with Canadians.This could be a way to do the right thing,regain the world’s respect and become a world leaders again,and help canadians fix our bottom line in no small part,and at last but not least to find the militants from coast to coast to coast that we desperatly need to mobilize the public so that we can regain the iniatiative. We have done this before ( the international non aliegne movement, saying that police has no bussiness in our bedrooms or bringing on the quiet revolution that saved Canada, health care etc.etc.etc.)we have been courages in the past and we have only gained from our courage.
Lets find the courage of our and canadian convictions and by doing so save the country.
More freedom is better than less freedom. This resolution rocks!
Just to build on the point about the former mayors of Vancouver, I thought I’d point out that there are both left-of-centre and right-of-centre politicians on that list. This is the kind of policy that appeals to thoughtful people all across the political spectrum, and at its core that’s what the Liberal Party should represent. We should strive to be the “Big Red Tent” that stands for thoughtful and rational and moral policies, and that isn’t beholden to any ideological straightjacket.
I support this resolution.
Follow the U.S, experience here and prepare a seriuos plan to manage the drug before going much further. I would suggest putting together a study group to resolve the issue but in the meantime at least decriminalize the use of small amounts and give the police the tools to keep users off the roads.
I personally support the “legalization, cultivation, distribution, and taxation of marijuana” by the Federal Government! Let’s get ‘er done in a way, like alcohol, controls and effective “pro-active” taxes are in place to supplement tax $$$ and support pro-active “abuse programs”. This is simple! ( .. or should be!??)
At the LPC-BC Annual Convention in Victoria last month, our grassroots policy process led to a number of resolutions being passed by over 300 delegates in attendance – including a proposal to legalize and regulate the cultivation and sale of cannabis. This policy was chosen as a priority resolution by Liberal Party members at the Victoria conference and the Young Liberals of Canada have kindly agreed to blend their existing resolution (#117) with the approved BC policy. Thanks YLC! Last week four former Vancouver Mayors (Larry Campbell, Sam Sullivan, Phillip Owen, Mike Harcourt) and the current one came out in support of the policy too.
David Hurford, LPC-BC Policy Chair
hmmmm…thanks for sharing this information…i’ve long held that this poor plant doesn’t get the respect it deserves…
whether a person subscibes to its’ use or not as an individual choice, it is , put simply, something that grows naturally in our environment, and should be accessed fairly like any other plant found in nature…
The wealth that could be distributed through its’ regulation by government is ‘mind-boggling’…
There are so many possibilities.
Don’t get me started..If you REALLY dig deep the current prohibitive laws are actually COMPLETELY CONSTITUTIONALLY ILLEGAL! Let’s get this simple plant OFF ALL LISTS & drag it out of the mud where it currently is..This is one of the most remarkable plants on the planet & the public MUST reverse the image now-GET EDUCATED & GET OCCUPIED-no one human has any right to tell another human they can or can not grow a natural plant for free, for starters.. I’ll leave it at that. Oh, fyi, ‘recreational’ use constitutes only 0.01% of this plant’s beneficial uses..Interesting that 0.01% is regarded as 100% in the general population’s mind. The time is NOW.
We the people are being and have been lied to, held under water as to the TRUE LIGHT this plant should be recognized for – the saviour of the planet as well as our own sorry asses..Any wafers only need to do themselves & everyone else a favour by WRITING A PROS & CONS list & pass the word on when it is realized how backward public perception is in its present state.
Law enforcement will certainly benefit from the ridding of ALL associated laws, people will rightfully have the freedom to plant/grow/harvest whatever we need or require, or simply purchase such like one would ginger root.
Mega jails, moronic diatribe from evangelical pulpits, are the true poison here. Again – the TIME IS NOW..to unravel the complex & seemingly overwhelming subterfuge we’ve been force-fed at the expense of our own civil liberties & self-healing avenues.
From youth to seniors, the education starts now – there really is no argument against this plant (see your pros & cons list) & it would be in everyone’s best interest to engage on this matter to bring a free, NON-ADDICTIVE, non-synthesized, non-toxic pain-management system to a life near YOU!
#2/
BTW, in the photo – the iconic ‘FAN LEAF’ – interesting, that that is the LEAST useful (post growth) part of the plant (outside of materials manufacturing) but the most recognized.. There is actually NOTHING useless of this plant – every molecule is a benefit to mankind & the planet we live on.
Shame on the Dupont family & all other monopolizing-minded government/corporate pole-stroking zealot who continues to keep the masses in the dark & blind-sided from the truth.
THE TIME HAS COME – & as I always knew it was ‘a commin’….
PASS THE WORD – ORGANIZE & PUT IN MOTION – the truth – as well, there is no ‘legalize’ or ‘decriminalize’ issues here – this plant is to be COMPLETELY & WHOLLY STRIPPED OF ALL CONTROL, TAXATION, LIMITS, PROHIBITION, MONOPOLIZING, INTENT TO MANIPULATE or DECEIVE the actual benefits IMMEDIATELY – notwithstanding the reversal of all existing criminal records & cases presently before the courts to properly reflect the reality & truth surrounding the current constitutionally ILLEGAL laws under which our lives have been & are being currently subject to.
This is an outrage & has to be concluded with haste. Canada needs a PRIME MINISTER – not an egomaniacal buffoon with a religious agenda..
By SUMMER 2012 – get this bus headed in the proper direction once-&-for-all..
YOU IN????
Starting … NOW!
ps 1/10,000 benefits: (pure cannabis oil on psoriasis will brighten your day – & shock the hell out of you as to why you can’t just make this or buy this for next-to-nothing as it costs very little to produce (sans black market/government lies) & will heal the skin in a matter of.. well, almost instantly, actually!
Go READ – TELL YOUR SENIOR FAMILY MEMBER there is a simple ingredient that will actually help them sleep, feel pain free – all from cannabis – & FREE TO GROW with the tomatoes & beans..
#3/
The day is soon – when this plant is as hyped as FRESH GINGER ROOT!
Absolutely! Canada has the highest consumption rate of marijuana in the industrialised world, and the marijuana industry here is worth billions of dollars. Marijuana is not going anywhere, and a responsible government would be one that legalises and regulates it. Let the provinces create crown corporations reminiscent of the LCBO!
Let’s allow the responsible use of marijuana for adults, use the MASSIVE tax revenue to support our healthcare system, and use the money saved in our criminal system to help enforce laws that protect Canadians from crimes that actually create victims!
E.C.S. = the endo cannibinoid system
our bodies produce the same chemicals
cannabinoids -that are in the marijuana plant.
we use them to regulate every thing in our bodies
even the way we think. marijuana is not a drug
it is in fact the most essential nutrient one can digest
[not smoke -digesting the oils]. there’s an excellent film by len richmond
called ‘what if cannabis cured cancer’ which is does. proven by a man from nova scotia who cured 100′s of people of cancer. Rick Simpson.
digesting cannabis oil is the cure in fact for many illnesses
i have links galore but i don’t think this comment area allows them.
as i tried ;p
over the last year or so i have been gathering information
on the endocannabinoid system [e.c.s.]. though i cannot make links here
my web site is after the at symbol of my user name.
though my site is closed for a major redo i have left a up
page with links i have gathered on e.c.s.
its mind blowing.
i have left links on the face book page of
Stop the Violence BC and
Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
It is a waste of time to talk about legalizing Marijuana in isolation, it will never happen. We have to talk about it in terms of being SMART ON CRIME, not being TOUGH(STUPID) on CRIME.
Iam pulled in different directions on this resolution. My gut reaction is all I have on this one. I support this because it just seems the right thing to do despite knowing that our support will be fodder for the conservatives in the next election. We liberals were known to take tough decisions on issues that are not always politically smart but aregood for our nation as a whole. Regulating marijuana is the right thing to do. Throwing Canadians in jail for small amounts of marijuana is just wrong. I deem this issue in the same light as prostitution, both are mostly moral in nature that need to be regulated to be made safer for those involved.
make it corporate. YOu buy a permit, a permit is good for ten years, and it costs 30 million upfront. Clean, legal, funds. Let the tobacco companies take it.
Hmm… regulation and a nice little new source of tax revenue, similar to tobacco and alcohol.
I imagine it would still be cheaper than buying from the criminals.
I know how to make it even cheaper: legalize it and DO NOT tax it.
In a perfect world maybe…
Like that will ever happen…
Sin taxes have been around for far longer than I’ve lived, and that’s over half a century.
It’s the Conservatives that think cutting taxes and increasing spending will balance the budget. I call that stupid.
That is an interesting idea zach…re-constitute all them old tobacco farms in southern ontario with a crop that has a medical, commodity and tax value … jobs,jobs,jobs
why do people smoke pot ? to get hi.
to get stoned . but do we know why we get hi from a plant resin?
yes we have receptors in our brain – there called cb1 receptors [cb2 also]
when someone smokes pot the thc stimulates these receptors in a certain way.
but there not there just so we can get hi . they were already there.
in fact the cb receptors are in almost every creature on this planet.
it is at the foundation of evolution .its the difference between insects and us
these receptors are in every part of our body they are used to regulate almost everything. its called the “endocannabinoid system” we create these cannabinoids
in our bodies naturally . thc is just a type of cannabinoid.but the cannabis plant
has over 60 cannabinoids in it,only a few get one hi.smoking cannabis has little health benefits compared to digesting the oil from it. by digesting the oil you replenish a system we use to regulate everything.even the way we think.i mean replenish because in our modern world our endocannabinoid system is working over time
fighting off all the toxins we consume or are exposed to. the endo cannabinoid system is what we use to fight off illnesses like cancer or autoimmune deceases.
so digesting cannabis oil, that is full of cannabinoids gives our body the fuel
to fight off these illnesses. so yes i say legalize it ;p
it will end gang related violence , it will stimulate the economy
and create new jobs.and it can cure the sick.
SMART ON CRIME, I like that. This would be smart on crime.
I’ve read somewhere that 85% of the crime in the country is related to drugs. That most of the money that the crime organizations make are from drugs. So we need to look at who has an interest in keeping the status quo:
1) The Drug Importers
2) The Manufacturers of Illegal Drugs
3) The Criminal organizations that distribute the
drugs.
4) The local Crime Boss, and his front people.
5) The people selling drugs on the street corners.
6) The people selling drugs on our school grounds.
You all know of these guys, but have you considered:
7) The lawyers who defend the criminals in court.
8) The lobbyists who are working the halls of
government and justice.
9) The police force, who receive funding based on the
size of the Drug problem. The police have no
interest at all in catching the the drug pushers
and closing down their organizations.
10) How about our prisons, without drug offenders they
would have to close half of them.
11) Judges, Crown Prosecutors, court personal etc.
12) How about the whole drug enforcement system.
The list just goes on and on: All these people have an interest in keeping the system as it is.
So how do we stop it?
To stop it you need to take the profit motive out of it.
So how do we do this?
Well let’s start by treating drug addiction as a disease (which it is) and giving the addicts prescriptions for their drugs. You then have a chance to reach these people and maybe turn their lives around, at the very least you take them off the street. Reducing street crime, break and entries, prostitution, muggings etc.
Addicts would be getting cleaner drugs, and clean needles, reducing the costs to the health care system.
This is complicated and start up is costly, no where near as costly as the crime it would replace, and the legal system the drug trade supports. Complicated yes, not as complicated as the system we are running now.
Next step legalize recreational drugs, and sell them through government outlets. Costly start up but would very quickly pay the cost of the whole preventive system. Also, people would be getting cleaner drugs, and would be less likely to try street drugs.
There would be very little reason for the development of new recreational drugs, (no money in it).
There would be no one at our schools pushing drugs at our children.
Our Police and court system could be refocused on other hard core crime problems.
Over time, the number of addicted people would drop, but the big change would be people coming into the system from the hard drug side of things.
There would no longer be a profit motive, at least not on any great scale.