Pubdate: Sat, 27 Jul 2013
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2013 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/letters.html
Website: http://www.montrealgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Author: Michael Woods

TRUDEAU LIGHTS UP DEBATE ON MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

'Smart Move' Criticized by Tories and Ndp

OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau's announcement this week that he supports 
legalizing marijuana was either an attempt to start a long overdue 
conversation on a difficult issue, or a naked ploy for votes from 
people who might not otherwise come to the polls, depending on whom you ask.

Either way, Trudeau's move to become the first major party leader in 
Canada to support marijuana legalization has stirred the pot.

"I think his attempt here is to bring in a whole new generation of 
young men and young women into the political process," said Michael 
Behiels, a University of Ottawa history professor. "And this is one 
way that he can do it, by addressing something that they apparently 
seem very interested in."

On Wednesday, Trudeau said he favours legalizing marijuana - taxing 
and regulating it - rather than decriminalization.

The next day, he elaborated, saying his thinking has "evolved" on the 
subject. He called decriminalization a "good first step," but only 
legalization and regulation would keep pot out of the hands of children.

"Nobody can argue the current approach on drugs is working. We have 
to look at something else," he told reporters in Vancouver.

The issue of legalization is more divided along generational lines 
than party lines, Behiels said.

While Trudeau has taken a risk, he said, "change doesn't get done 
unless politicians, at some point, take a risk. ... It's probably 
well worth the debate, if he can attract a lot more young people into 
the political process."

Trudeau's move leaves the NDP sitting between the Conservatives and 
the Liberals on the issue: The official Opposition backs 
decriminalizing the drug, but not legalizing it. The Conservatives 
seized on Trudeau's view as evidence, in their view, he isn't ready 
to be prime minister.

On Friday, NDP deputy leader Megan Leslie accused the Liberal leader 
of being inconsistent on the issue. "I thought it was political 
pandering," she said. "It's hard to have a real reaction to his line 
because I don't know what it's going to be tomorrow. That might sound 
harsh, but that's how I feel about it.

"I don't' think that this is his attempt to nuance the debate," she said.

The NDP, the first party to support decriminalizing marijuana, has 
remained consistent, Leslie said. She said the NDP encourages the 
conversation, and accused the Conservatives of taking a polarizing 
approach and creating a culture where the issue isn't discussed enough.

"The Conservatives have set up this for-us-or-against-us kind of 
dynamic, and if you say something that doesn't fit into this narrow 
box, then you're going to be attacked by them and their trolls. 
People become too scared to even talk about those ideas," she said.

"If you are advocating a position of legalization, I think you need 
to think really critically about what that means for many other 
spheres. ... You need to think about what are the impacts on health, 
on the economy, on international relations. None of those are 
insurmountable barriers, but at the very least you need to think it through."

Jodie Emery, a political activist and wife of Marc Emery, the pro 
legalization activist in prison in the United States, said Trudeau's 
support is "better late than never," especially in light of two U.S. 
states - Colorado and Washington - legalizing the drug within the 
past year. She pointed out that polling has shown most Canadians now 
favour legalization, and people realize that "you don't have to like 
pot to like legalization."

"A lot of people are more comfortable speaking in favour of ending 
prohibition without worrying about being called pro-marijuana," she 
said. "Things are changing, and it's not as difficult to support 
legalization as it once was. So it's much easier for Trudeau to take a stand."

Bruce Hicks, political scientist at Carleton University, called 
Trudeau's support a "smart move," because it differentiates the 
Liberals from the other parties.

"Political strategists tend to advise caution, and that makes sense 
if you're in first place and the government, but it doesn't makes 
sense if you're trying to become the government. You've got to make 
the bold moves."

But Hicks said while it's possible Trudeau could lose support from 
some older voters, the Conservatives have spent years courting that 
demographic anyway, and he can't see the Conservatives making it an 
issue come election time in 2015 because it wouldn't win them any new votes.

"It just stops them losing some of their base support to Trudeau, 
whereas this would probably endear Justin to the youth vote and may 
even mobilize some people that otherwise wouldn't vote," he said.

In his argument, Trudeau has also tried to address health concerns about pot.

"Marijuana is not a health food supplement. It's not great for you. 
But it's certainly - as many studies have shown - not worse for you 
than cigarettes or alcohol," he said on Thursday.

But some say Trudeau reinvigorating that discussion isn't necessarily 
helpful, because political campaigns can create polarizing, divisive 
debates about nuanced public health issues.

"These issues are much too important to be wrapped up in pre election 
campaigning," Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public 
Health Association, said. "There's a lot of nuance here, and that's 
where the important decisions get made, is within the nuance.

"Its absolutely an important public health conversation that has to 
be held," Culbert said. "My concern when it becomes a political 
debate is that you are left with the extremes."

On Friday, a spokesperson for Justice Minister Peter MacKay said, 
"Our government has no intention of legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom