Pubdate: Fri, 22 Aug 2014
Source: National Post (Canada)
Page: A11
Copyright: 2014 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wEtbT4yU
Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: David Asper, National Post

IT'S THE CMA THAT'S 'POLITICIZING' THE MARIJUANA DEBATE

Unlike The Liberals, The Conservatives Understand That Legalization
Cannot Happen With The Wave Of A Magic Wand

The marijuana debate heated up again last week, when the Canadian
Medical Association denied its support for a public service campaign
that is to be launched by Health Canada warning of the dangers
associated with use of the drug. Because there are conflicting views
between the Conservatives and Liberals on the legalization question,
the CMA said, it didn't want to play politics.

This is more than a bit disingenuous: Warning of the dangers of
marijuana usage, which is currently illegal, is actually no different
that warning about the use of legal alcohol or tobacco, which Health
Canada does with the CMA's support. In other words: Regardless of
whether marijuana is fully legal, decriminalized or fully criminal,
the Health Canada public service campaign has nothing to do with the
political issue.

In fact, one could argue that as Canada progresses toward some form of
liberalized marijuana law, it's a good thing that Health Canada is
getting ahead of the game so that people who choose to use the drug
are informed, as they are with tobacco and alcohol.

On the larger question of the legal status of marijuana, Justice
Minister Peter McKay reiterated his interest in adopting the regime
proposed by the police chiefs of Canada, namely that possession of
small amounts be decriminalized and possibly treated under the
Contraventions Act. Justin Trudeau and the Liberals continue to pledge
that if elected they will legalize the drug entirely for recreational
use.

Many people in different political parties have differing views on the
subject, including within the Conservative party. I'm a Conservative
and happen to support legalization and regulation, because, as I've
noted before, mere decriminalization would continue to keep the supply
lines (i.e. the drug traffickers) in the shadows rather than
eliminating them by regulating and taxing the product as we do with
alcohol.

Unlike the Liberals, however, I think the Conservatives understand
that legalization cannot happen with the wave of a magic wand. It
would be completely irresponsible to simply wipe marijuana off the law
books and proclaim that it's as legal as growing dandelions in your
garden. Should anyone, including children, be allowed to have access
to marijuana? Could anyone grow it in any amount? Could anyone sell it
anywhere they want? Should there be some kind of qualitative control
so that toxic marijuana doesn't find its way into the marketplace?
Should, as Health Canada desires, warnings exist about the effects of
the use of marijuana?

These are the type of questions that need to be considered, and
perhaps the most important one: If marijuana were to be legalized who
would oversee its regulation? The provinces? If so, have they been
consulted? The federal government? Has any study been done on how that
would work?

Our federal government seems inclined to take a more incremental
approach by first decriminalizing marijuana to see what happens and
how Canadians react to the change. This is a very Canadian and
cautious approach - in part because it can happen within federal
jurisdiction. Should the provinces take an interest in a next step
toward legalization and regulation, it would be up to them to work
with the federal government to make further changes.

The CMA, by the way, is the same organization whose leadership worries
about prescribing medical marijuana because of the lack of research on
its long term effects. Which might suggest to some that the CMA
leadership created this controversy as a PR stunt for the Liberals'
benefit.

Carry on Health Canada. You don't need the CMA.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D