SirBlazinBowl
New Member
It's not a good time to get busted for marijuana possession now that Stephen Harper is the prime minister. When the Liberals held power in Ottawa, they drafted legislation to decriminalize possesion of small amounts of marijuana. But the Conservative Party and Harper have indicated an intention to scrap that planned legislation. Harper recently expressed that position at the annual Canadian Professional Police Association conference in Ottawa.
"Harper adheres to this notion that society should morally sanction people who use illegal drugs," said Keith Martin, the Liberal MP for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca. Martin has called for the decriminalization of marijuana since he was an MP for the Reform Party. While Martin has concerns about people abusing marijuana, he said they shouldn't be treated like criminals. Martin favours law enforcement agencies taking a tougher approach against organized crime groups involved in growing marijuana rather than against recreational pot smokers.
"Prohibition is like music to the ears of organized crime. The day that the government chooses to decriminalize the simple possession of marijuana is the day that organized crime gangs are going to have a big problem," he said.
Organized crime groups in the U.S. experienced major financial setbacks when the alcohol prohibition was repealed in 1933, Martin pointed out. Ted Smith, president of the Victoria-based International Hempology 101 Society, said he doesn't support the draft marijuana decriminalization legislation introduced by the Liberals when they were in power. Smith has long been an outspoken proponent of the outright legalization of marijuana.
"I'm glad they're not decriminalizing cannabis. It's the lawyer's term for job protection. It still means that the police can take it away from you, harass you and still have the same powers under the old law," Smith said.
The draft legislation would have treated minor marijuana possession like a traffic violation. Smith argued that such a law could prevent marijuana from ever being legalized outright. "What we need is a temporary policy of non-enforcement. That's what's going to lead us toward legalization - not a system of fines," he said. Aside from having a moral position against people smoking pot, Harper's tough stance is all about cozying up to U.S. President George W. Bush, Martin said.
Smith agreed: "The population ( of Canada ) could be 95 per cent in favour of legalization and they'll still stick with their position until the United States changes." Saanich-Gulf Islands Conservative MP Gary Lunn said that abandoning legislation decriminalizing marijuana is more about priorities. The Conservatives are more concerned about the proposed federal accountability legislation, reducing the GST and justice reforms, he said.
Lunn also has his own concerns about what might happen if marijuana were to be decriminalized. "Do you send the right message out to young people by legalizing marijuana? Is it a stepping stone to harder drugs? I'm not convinced it's the right road to go down," Lunn said.
Newshawk: SirBlazinBowl - 420 Magazine
Source: Victoria News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Victoria News
Contact: vicnews@vinewsgroup.com
Website:Victoria News
Author: Mark Browne, Esquimalt News
"Harper adheres to this notion that society should morally sanction people who use illegal drugs," said Keith Martin, the Liberal MP for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca. Martin has called for the decriminalization of marijuana since he was an MP for the Reform Party. While Martin has concerns about people abusing marijuana, he said they shouldn't be treated like criminals. Martin favours law enforcement agencies taking a tougher approach against organized crime groups involved in growing marijuana rather than against recreational pot smokers.
"Prohibition is like music to the ears of organized crime. The day that the government chooses to decriminalize the simple possession of marijuana is the day that organized crime gangs are going to have a big problem," he said.
Organized crime groups in the U.S. experienced major financial setbacks when the alcohol prohibition was repealed in 1933, Martin pointed out. Ted Smith, president of the Victoria-based International Hempology 101 Society, said he doesn't support the draft marijuana decriminalization legislation introduced by the Liberals when they were in power. Smith has long been an outspoken proponent of the outright legalization of marijuana.
"I'm glad they're not decriminalizing cannabis. It's the lawyer's term for job protection. It still means that the police can take it away from you, harass you and still have the same powers under the old law," Smith said.
The draft legislation would have treated minor marijuana possession like a traffic violation. Smith argued that such a law could prevent marijuana from ever being legalized outright. "What we need is a temporary policy of non-enforcement. That's what's going to lead us toward legalization - not a system of fines," he said. Aside from having a moral position against people smoking pot, Harper's tough stance is all about cozying up to U.S. President George W. Bush, Martin said.
Smith agreed: "The population ( of Canada ) could be 95 per cent in favour of legalization and they'll still stick with their position until the United States changes." Saanich-Gulf Islands Conservative MP Gary Lunn said that abandoning legislation decriminalizing marijuana is more about priorities. The Conservatives are more concerned about the proposed federal accountability legislation, reducing the GST and justice reforms, he said.
Lunn also has his own concerns about what might happen if marijuana were to be decriminalized. "Do you send the right message out to young people by legalizing marijuana? Is it a stepping stone to harder drugs? I'm not convinced it's the right road to go down," Lunn said.
Newshawk: SirBlazinBowl - 420 Magazine
Source: Victoria News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Victoria News
Contact: vicnews@vinewsgroup.com
Website:Victoria News
Author: Mark Browne, Esquimalt News
