Pubdate: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 Source: Westman Journal (CN MB) Page: 16 Copyright: 2014 Glacier Community Media Contact: http://www.westmanjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5528 Note: by Journal staff Referenced: Angus Reid Global survey, August 12, 2014: http://mapinc.org/url/hvR1cmJ1 SIX-IN-TEN MANITOBANS SUPPORT LEGALIZING POT, BUT IT'S NOT A TOP PRIORITY With the country's eye on marijuana legalization activist Marc Emery's return to Canada, a recent survey shows that a majority of Canadians support his cause. However, legalizing pot isn't at the top of their justice priorities list. The poll, done by Angus Reid Global, surveyed 1510 Canadian adults. It showed that 59 per cent think the use of marijuana should be legalized, with the remaining 41 per cent feel it should remain illegal. The strongest support for legalization came from British Columbia (70%), Atlantic Canada (68%) and Manitoba/Saskatchewan (63%). Even the provinces that showed the lowest amount of support - Alberta and Quebec - still showed legalization eeking out keeping the drug illegal, with 53% of respondents from both provinces vocalizing support. Nationally, men are slightly more supportive of legalization than women (62% versus 56%). The older a respondent was, the slightly less supportive they were to the idea of legalization. Conservative Party of Canada voters were significantly less likely than those who voted for the Liberal or New Democratic parties to support legalization. (43%, 70% and 68% respectively). Despite the survey showing a high percentage of overall support for pot legalization, it also shows that many Canadians do not see the need to change existing laws as an issue the federal government should focus its attention on first. When asked to select which crime/safety/justice issues the federal government should consider a top priority, respondents chose "tougher penalties for those found guilty of serious crimes" (63%) as first or second priority, while only 15 per cent chose "legalizing the possession and use of marijuana". Other justice issues garnering more support than marijuana legalization included cracking down on white collar crime (38%), addressing community crime (34%), addressing terrorism and security (28%), and increasing the transparency of the RCMP (16%). Full results from the survey, conducted by Angus Reid, can be found online at www.angusreidglobal.com . - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D