Pubdate: Wed, 31 Jul 2013
Source: North Shore News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 North Shore News
Contact:  http://www.nsnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/311

BUDDING DEBATE

AS mobs of ga-ga-eyed federal Liberals gushed at the arrival of party
leader Justin Trudeau last week, the buzz that soon followed was his
stance on marijuana. He favours legal, taxed and regulated pot to put
Canadians in control of the substance rather than the criminals who
enjoy a lucrative monopoly now.

We're sure he said other things too, but that's the story Lower
Mainland media ran with.

His timing is fortuitous as organizers of the Sensible B.C. campaign
are signing up volunteers to see if they can, via a petition, amend
the provincial Police Act to specifically instruct police officers in
the province to not arrest or prosecute for cases of simple marijuana
possession.

Sensible B.C.'s attempt to effectively decriminalize marijuana is
innovative

and shows cunning, but, at best, it can only be a half measure. If
we're ever going to have some sanity in our drug policy, it's going to
have to come from the feds, who have exclusive control over the
Criminal Code.

But our current federal government has no interest in
decriminalization or a legal taxation/regulation scheme, despite polls
showing the majority of Canadians are on board with such an approach.
The Tories still love their tough-on-crime theatre and its mandatory
minimum prison sentences for people with as few as six pot plants.

The 2015 election will, we hope, be fought on other issues, but
Trudeau's marijuana policy may smoke out and engage a younger
demographic who have previously shown less inclination to vote than
their parents.
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MAP posted-by: Matt