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Cannabis Canada: Decrim on the Way, Says Prime Minister

DRCNet

The Week Online, Issue #285

Friday 02 May 2003

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Cannabis Canada: Decrim on the Way, Says Prime Minister -- The People
are Ready, Says Poll
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/285.html#cannabiscanada

The process of reforming Canada's marijuana laws has moved at the
pace of the Kokanee Glacier, but it now appears that cannabis
decriminalization will be a reality this year. Prime Minister
Jean Chretien has said so, the Liberal Party contenders to be his
successor are climbing on board, and the public is right behind,
according to a recent national poll.

"We will soon introduce legislation to decriminalize possession of
small amounts of marijuana so that young people do not have
unnecessary criminal records for the rest of their lives,"
Chretien announced at a party fundraising dinner in Ottawa Tuesday
night. "At the same time we will have a drug strategy to
discourage young people from using drugs, and which will target
drug traffickers."

It has become apparent that such a position is increasingly
uncontroversial, even beneficial, for Canadian politicians. A
poll released this week provided the latest evidence. A national
poll for Sun Media conducted by Leger Marketing found that an
overwhelming 83% of Canadians favor some sort of liberalization of
the nation's marijuana laws. The poll found 20% supporting
legalization, 43% supporting legalization for medical purposes and
20% supporting decriminalization. Only 14% favor the status quo.

"It seems that with just 14% now saying it should be illegal,
that's really saying people think changes needed to be made soon
in some way, shape or form," said Leger Marketing pollster Leslie
Martin.

Other polls have shown support for marijuana decriminalization at
near 50% and support for medical marijuana at above 60% of the
voters.

Politicians are beginning to take notice. Two of the three
leading contenders for the governing Liberal Party's leadership
after Chretien takes his planned retirement have endorsed decrim,
while a third has waffled.

Sheila Copps, one of the candidates, added her name to the list of
backers, saying she "absolutely" supported decrim. "I support it,
but I haven't been on record, so I am now," the Liberal leadership
candidate told Canada Press Sunday.

She joins frontrunner Paul Martin, who told Sun Media the same day
he supported decrim but not legalization. "I think the idea of
giving a young person a criminal record because they happened to
get caught with a very, very small quantity (5-30 grams) once in
their life -- I don't think that's what we should be doing,"
Martin said. "But I would not, under any circumstances, make it
legal."

So when is decrim coming? Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, who
was also at the Tuesday fundraiser in Ottawa, told Reuters "as
soon as possible" and definitely before parliament takes its
summer recess in June.

Sen. Pierre Claude Nolin, chair of the Senate committee that
authored the report calling for the outright legalization of
cannabis for those over 16, told a Washington, DC, press
conference this week he expected a measure to pass by Christmas.
Nolin took pains, however, to point out that "decriminalization"
is not a correct term for Canada's pending cannabis law reform,
which is more accurate described as "depenalization" -- the
lowering of penalties with use continuing to be illegal.

Looks like Canada may celebrate the New Year in a new way.

 

 

 

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