The Liberals and the Legalization of Marijuana

Wednesday was National Weed Day or 4/20 day, when all over Canada and the world people gather to celebrate cannabis culture and smoke up.

So one has to commend the Liberal government for the timing of this announcement. 

Federal legislation to legalize marijuana will be ready in a year, Canada's health minister told the UN at a special session of the General Assembly in New York today.

"We will introduce legislation in spring 2017 that ensures we keep marijuana out of the hands of children and profits out of the hands of criminals," Jane Philpott said in her prepared speech to delegates. 

Even though the timing for legalization does seem to me to be a little on the slow side.



For while I do understand why it might take time to prepare a growing and distribution network, and adjust our laws accordingly. And I do trust Jane Philpott who is a great doctor with a fine social conscience.

A year is a long time, and I have to admit I don't trust Bill Blair to do the right thing.

Bill Blair, the parliamentary secretary to the justice minister who serves as Canada's point man on the legalization legislation, is with Philpott in New York. 

"It's a great deal of work. It's important to do it right. And so, we're looking at regulations with respect to production, distribution, the retail and consumption of marijuana and we want to make sure that it's based on the best advice from experts." Blair told reporters on his way to the meetings on Tuesday.

Because when I think of him, I think of the G20 and cages and handcuffs...



And I think it's absolutely insane to announce that we're going to legalize a drug, but are still going to keep arresting people for simple possession.

Which as you know the depraved Con regime did for years, in what can only be described as an act of reefer madness...



Which screwed up the lives of hundreds of thousands of Canadians for no sane reason.

And since Rona Ambrose was a serial offender, and Stephen Harper was out of his mind...



I'm interested in seeing what the two declared Con leadership candidates, Maxime Bernier and Kellie Leitch have to say about legalization.

Because while Bernier is in favour, sort of. Leitch is against it.

"Health Canada spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year to encourage Canadians to stop smoking. Now the government wants Canadian kids to have access to a drug to smoke, marijuana," she told the House of Commons in February. "Parents are scared and concerned for their children. The government is sending out mixed signals."

Even though she obviously doesn't understand the whole point of legalizing marijuana. And clearly hasn't done her research.

Colorado kids are not smoking more pot since the drug became legal – but their older siblings and parents certainly are, according to a long-awaited report giving the most comprehensive data yet on the effects of the state’s 2012 recreational marijuana law. 

Anonymous surveys given to about 40,000 Colorado students before and after legalization showed “no significant change” in marijuana use by children under 18 in the preceding 30 days.

But then maybe Leitch has changed her mind now that her campaign manager Nick Kouvalis has been busted...



For driving and drinking.

And yes, the marijuana issue has always been clouded by hypocrisy.

But what seems obvious to me is that nobody should be arrested, and have their lives ruined for the "crime" of using marijuana.


So the government should issue a stand down order to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada on all cannabis-related charges which don’t involve violence or other Criminal Code offences.

But while we push for that, let's not forget that if Justin Trudeau and his Liberals hadn't won the election, we wouldn't even be talking about it.

We'd still be living in Stephen Harper's monstrous police state. 



Canadians would still be heading off to jail with no hope in sight.



And we'd all still be in the grip of this kind of reefer madness...



The legalization of marijuana isn't the biggest issue in this country, but it is a matter of basic justice.

Those Cons were zombies.

Aren't you glad we destroyed them?

And thank you Justin Trudeau...

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