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Canada moves toward marijuana legalization.

18:38 / 05.09.02

Heard this on the radio this morning, and here's the CNN version.

What if the Great White North suddenly turned into Amsterdam?

"Cannabis should be, from here on, in legal and of restricted use, so that Canadians can choose whether to consume or not in security," said Sen. Pierre Claude Nolin, a Progressive Conservative Party member from Quebec province. He spoke at a news conference announcing the final report of the Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, which he chaired.

The government should give amnesty to anyone convicted of marijuana possession under current or past legislation and erase their records, Nolin said.

"Domestic and international experts and Canadians from every walk of life told us loud and clear that we should not be imposing criminal records on users or unduly prohibiting personal use of cannabis," Nolin said.

The committee's report will be considered by lawmakers.

Sanity!

Think the US drug warriors will sit by and take it?

19:33 / 05.09.02

I co-chaired a 'Special Committee on Illegal Drugs' of sorts back in my university days. We pretty much came to the same conclusions. Hasn't Vancouver, BC already legalized it to some extent?

20:25 / 05.09.02

I dont think they've legalized it so much as its just the cops dont bother you unless you're selling or growing to sell. (I could be wrong, this is just from memory from a doc. film I say a few years back)
They recomended decriminalizing pot and hash.

21:07 / 05.09.02

Should be great for the tourist economy...

23:00 / 05.09.02

The justice minister has now said that he favours decriminalization, but not legalisation, as that would piss the US off way too much. Horray!

The leader of the far-right party has said "I would rather see my kids drinking alcohol than smoking pot". (His kids are 3 and 5 years old by the way) And oddly enough the Association of Police has said that decrim. is a bad idea, whereas the Association of Police Chiefs said years ago that it is a great idea.

I lived in Vancouver last year and there were certain blocks downtown where 5 different people would ask if you wanted some every 10 feet. There are also apparently 'amsterdam style' cafes there, but I never found them.

11:55 / 13.09.02

Man in Nova Scotia seeks to have Medicinal Pot in Jail.

~MT

04:17 / 22.03.04

Marijuana to be Available in Pharmacies!

Canada plans to make government-certified marijuana available in local pharmacies, a move that would make it only the second country in the world to allow the direct sale of medical marijuana. Officials are organizing a pilot project in the British Columbia province modeled on a year-old program in the Netherlands.

Currently, there are 78 medical users in Canada permitted to buy government marijuana, which is grown in Flin Flon, Manitoba. An ounce sells for about $113, and the marijuana is sent by courier to patients or their doctors.

But the department is changing the regulations to allow participating pharmacies to stock marijuana for sale to approved patients without a doctor's prescription, similar to regulations governing so-called morning-after pills. Those emergency contraceptives can be obtained directly from a pharmacist without the need for a doctor's signature.

A notice of the change is expected to be made public this spring, allowing for drugstore distribution later in the year.

03:23 / 04.04.06

Damn it!

New Conservative government kills decriminalization bill

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Monday that he was scrapping draft legislation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The former Liberal government had drafted the legislation, which would have made possession of less than 15 grams of marijuana a minor offence punishable by fines of between $100 and $400. Those found with small amounts would no longer have had a criminal record.

The proposed law, drafted three years ago, was never brought to a vote. But it remained an irritant in relations between Canada and the United States, especially as the Canadian police have made fewer and fewer arrests for marijuana possession in recent years.

The three opposition parties are not expected to try to resuscitate the legislation, although together they control a majority in the House of Commons.

The Toronto Star reported Monday that local police officers around the metropolitan Toronto area had taken their cue from the new Harper government and had begun cracking down on possession of marijuana in recent weeks.