Pubdate: Fri, 06 Nov 2015
Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Metro Canada
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775
Author: Diane Baker Mason
Page: 24

WHEN WE LEGALIZE POT, LET'S BE CHILL ABOUT IT

In the opening scene of the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, two affable hired
killers discuss the legalization of marijuana. Vincent (the
well-travelled one) tries to distill the complicated Dutch hash-bar
laws by describing pot as "legal but not 100 per cent legal." You can
own it, he explains, and you can smoke it, but you can't buy or sell
it. His companion is baffled. Why does it have to be so
complicated?

Why indeed? While this scene from a 20-year-old movie remains
applicable to many Canadians' contemporary understanding of cannabis
users (that they are criminals using a dangerous drug), most Canadians
believe that pot should be legalized. Many point to the relative
harmlessness of the drug and to its many medical uses. Those benefits
were recognized in Canada by the Marijuana for Medical Purposes
Regulations issued by Health Canada in 2013, a narrow
decriminalization that took years of legislative caterwauling to bring
into force. Since then, there's been no serious chance of further
decriminalization. At least, until now.

Now that we have our shiny new prime minister, the issue of legalizing
pot is again being passed around. Legal, regulated use is now only a
matter of time, although Trudeau cannot say how much time. When asked
recently, he indicated it could take years to draft, create and
implement the new regulatory scheme. After decades of debate - during
which many other jurisdictions globally have decriminalized and even
completely legalized cannabis - are we in for another long wait?

Probably. Legalizing pot is not simply a matter of amending the
Criminal Code, as Pierre Trudeau's government did in 1968, removing
prohibitions against homosexuality and birth control. Pot smoking has
an intoxicating effect (obviously), and there do need to be controls
on its use and sale. The nature and scope of the controls need to be
identified and legislated. Then there is the tax revenue: an entire
legislative scheme of collection, reporting and distribution. There's
far more to it than just declaring pot to be "legal but not 100% legal."

Sound, enforceable legislation will take thought, care and time.
Legalization is on the new government's agenda. At this point, there
is no reason to keep asking the PM when pot will be legalized. The
legislation will come in time. In the meantime, we should all just
chill out.

And if you have difficulty chilling? Well, I know a guy...
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MAP posted-by: Matt