This is a follow-up of my two letters in The Daily Press dated March 29, 2017 titled "PM's head going to pot" and Dec. 20, 2017 titled "Medical marijuana has no medicinal value." I managed to get an updated publication dated April 13, 2017 titled "Health Effects of cannabis" from Health Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and readers can find this Health Canada publication with an online search. The publication clearly summarizes the short-term health effects, long-term health effects, risks of illegal cannabis, mental health effects, health effects on youth, health effects on pregnancy and children, and addiction. [continues 352 words]
Lawyers contemplate class action to push government into cannabis amnesty OTTAWA - At Anthony Morgan's law office, the calls keep coming: Parents of young black men hoping their son's marijuana possession charge will be wiped clean when the country legalizes the drug this year. The Liberal government has talked about granting amnesty for past marijuana crimes, but isn't likely to move until after the new cannabis regime comes into effect this summer. For black communities across the country, that's not soon enough - and frustrated lawyers in Toronto are now considering lighting a fire under the feds with a class-action lawsuit. [continues 796 words]
Joelle Charbonneau has three words in mind as recreational marijuana's legalization approaches. "Train, train, train," said Charbonneau. "Information is key." The operations manager at JTR & Custom Works attended a Timmins Chamber of Commerce presentation at the Schumacher Lions Club Tuesday, where lawyer Carly Stringer explained employers' legal obligations regarding cannabis in the workplace. "(I wanted) to be informed of the new legislation changes, and to ensure that we'll be in compliance with the laws and regulations concerning marijuana in the workplace," said Charbonneau. [continues 531 words]
MOONBEAM - The town has snuffed out a request to amend its business licensing bylaw in order to accommodate a medical marijuana dispensary within the municipality. Robert Neron, a long-time user and advocate of medical marijuana, made a presentation to town council Monday night, with the hopes of opening a marijuana dispensary in Moonbeam by the spring of 2018. Mayor Gilles Audet told The Daily Press there were several reasons behind council's decision to deny the request. The general feeling around the council table, Audet explained, was that Neron should be directing his request to a higher authority of government. [continues 243 words]
Neron is asking Town of Moonstone to amend its licensing bylaw to allow sale of marijuana. MOONSTONE - A long-time user and advocate of medical marijuana has revealed plans to open a dispensary in his home town of Moonbeam. "I am asking the town to make an amendment to their business licence bylaw to include marijuana dispensary so I can function legally," said Robert Neron, who intends to make a presentation to Moonbeam council on Nov. 6. A number of cities across Canada already allow medical marijuana dispensaries to operate through municipal licensing agreements. Most of the medical marijuana dispensaries currently operating in Canada are located in British Columbia. [continues 502 words]
Nearly 50 First Nations communities - including at least two in the Timmins area - are investing in medical marijuana. Matachewan and Wahgoshig First Nations are among the shareholders in DelShen Therapeutics, which is a licensed medical marijuana producer. Jacob Taylor and Jonathan Araujo of the Pontiac Group have been helping to connect Ontario First Nations groups with the medical marijuana company for the past two years. "This plant is a medicine, and our focus with DelShen Therapeutics has always been a medical focus, where other companies have a recreational focus," explained Araujo. [continues 467 words]
I was a volunteer for the lung association for 30 years. We advocated to help smokers quit and pointed out the dangers of smoking tobacco products. I was President of the Ontario Lung Association for two years and appointed to the Canadian Lung Association for two years. During those years, I met many doctors who pointed out the dangers of tobacco to human health. Those same doctors told me that smoking marijuana was even more unhealthy because marijuana contained several more carcinogens (cancer causing agents) than tobacco. [continues 118 words]
I was a volunteer for the lung association for 30 years. I was President of the Ontario Lung Association for two years and appointed to the Canadian Lung Association for two years. During those years, I met many doctors who pointed out the dangers of tobacco to human health. Those same doctors told me that smoking marijuana was even more unhealthy because marijuana contained several more carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) than tobacco. The federal government is well aware of the tremendous costs to health care of tobacco smoking and yet it is proceeding with legalizing to allow the use of marijuana by selling it openly. [continues 84 words]
Timmins business owners had pot on the mind Wednesday morning. About 40 people sat in on a presentation by lawyer Carly Stringer in the Schumacher Lions Den in the McIntyre Centre. The event, organized by the Timmins Chamber of Commerce, focused on employer and employee obligations and rights regarding marijuana in the workplace. "Marijuana is going to be arguably treated in the same way as any other prescription drug," said Stringer. But: "Having a prescription for marijuana, it doesn't entitle them to be impaired at work. It doesn't allow them to compromise the safety of anyone on the work site." [continues 678 words]
Letter writer Simon Guillet rails against marijuana and conflates it with opioids and heroin. He obviously is not aware that marijuana has not caused an overdose death in recorded history. It's the "safest therapeutic substance known to man safer than most foods," wrote DEA judge Francis Young after hearing hundreds of hours of testimony. U.S. states that have legalized weed have had significant drops in opioid use and overdoses. So don't fear the weed, Canada, embrace it. You'll be much better off. Jeff Meyers, Westlake Village, Calif. [end]
In reply to Robert Sinclair's letter ("gateway drug theory is flawed") defending the legalization of marijuana, and his refuting that weed may be a gateway to harder drugs, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, as late as April of this year, has stated that "an alternative to the gateway-drug hypothesis is that people who are more vulnerable to drug-taking are simply more likely to start with readily available substances such as marijuana, tobacco, or alcohol, and their subsequent social interactions with others who use drugs increases their chances of trying other drugs." [continues 241 words]
The gruesome statistics on drug-related deaths, destroyed lives, broken relationships and demolished families are only getting worse every year. In one province, British Columbia, about 15 million hypodermic needles destined solely for illicit drug use were distributed last year to the various "safe injection" sites and agencies around the province. Fifteen million needles - it's hard to fathom the widespread addiction to various drugs and the terrible casualties inflicted. Unfortunately, it's growing in every province. In B.C., this is a 50 per cent increase from 2014 in hypos distributed for illicit use, and statistics for the rest of Canada must be similar. [continues 207 words]
New measures aimed at screening people who may be trying to smuggle in illicit drugs. Mushkegowuk leaders are calling for a regional strategy that would halt the flow of illegal drug into First Nation communities along the James Bay Coast. They say illegal drugs and the abuse of prescription medication and alcohol "continues to be the leading cause of criminal activity, premature deaths, destruction of families and cause life-long hardship" within their communities. "The communities and the whole region is in a crisis," said Mushkegowuk Grand Chief Jonathan Solomon. "In some way or another, every community member is affected. The illegal drug and alcohol trade has taken over our communities. It's a serious disease. It's big dirty business being brought in our communities by criminals from the south. It's killing us." [continues 435 words]
Drunk driving rates across the country aren't going down. The statistics may be consistent, but MADD volunteer Amy St. Amour is hopeful that events like Strides for Change can keep the issue in people's minds. "I don't understand how somebody can have too many drinks and still choose to drive," said St. Amour. "At the end of the day, it's a choice that you make. I don't know how we're going to change that mindset, but I do know that walks like this and all the events and fundraising that we do, hopefully keeps it top of mind for everybody in Timmins. [continues 340 words]
Organizer cancelling event due to lack of sponsorship and declining health The organizer behind Northern Ontario's longest running hemp festival is pulling the plug. Robert Neron, a Moonbeam resident and long-time activist in support of freer access to medical marijuana, made the announcement through a posting on social media on Sunday. He said unless someone else comes forward to take over managing the event, the cancellation of Hempfest is likely permanent. In his announcement, Neron also revealed his intention to "retire completely from any activism" in the future. [continues 398 words]
It seems we're finally coming to grips with the opioid crisis. Not in the sense that we're able to prevent it or roll it back, unfortunately. But now the data needed to conduct the fight is becoming available. It's not perfect, but it is a huge - and positive - step. Where we've been reactive, we'll now be able to be proactive. Or at least more proactive than we have been, watching as the wave of death rolls across Canada. [continues 333 words]
TIMMINS - A boom in the marijuana industry could lead to economic benefits for Northern Ontario communities. That's according to players in the medical marijuana industry and Alan Spacek, the mayor of Kapuskasing. His community is waiting for word from Health Canada on whether or not Canassist will be able to set up shop there. "There has been no information for many months," said Spacek, who noted the application was submitted in January 2015. "We have a location, we have a plan ready, we're just waiting for the letter to proceed." [continues 809 words]
Timmins teen selected as the national rep for a you advisory board for D.A.R.E. in the U.S. . A young Timmins woman has been selected as the first ever Canadian to join the national youth advisory board for D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) in the United States. Alexya Racicot, a 16-year-old student of Ecole secondaire catholique Theriault, will soon be travelling to Hawaii and also to Texas to help advise and shape D.A.R.E. programs in the future. [continues 666 words]
Visiting British Columbia is like going to a foreign land without using your passport. Having spent most of my early life there, it's always fun to see how much has changed. When I was a kid, for example, there was a major moral panic over marijuana use and another about Vancouver being the heroin gateway to North America. The drug scene today is the opposite of a moral panic. It's more an everyday complacency. With pot soon to be legal across the country, B.C. provides a glimpse of our future. If you wander through B.C. today, as we did over the Christmas break, more or less normal Albertans might be forgiven for thinking that the whole province is stoned. [continues 484 words]
TIMMINS - So far this year, the Timmins Police have charged 20 people with simple possession of marijuana, despite the fact that for the past 12 months a federal government has been in office promising to legalize recreational use of pot. But the police are just enforcing the law, which says marijuana is still illegal. The federal government, however, has ignored calls from the opposition to decriminalize it while the country works on figuring out how to regulate, tax and sell it. So in the interim, nearly two dozen Timmins residents have faced criminal charges for something the government doesn't believe should be illegal. [continues 1142 words]
Moonbeam - The air in this small Northern town may get a little hazy at the end of this month as the annual Hempfest festival kicks off on Aug. 22. For the last 18 years, the festival has attracted advocates and supporters of the decriminalization of marijuana, both for its recreational and medicinal uses, to the week-long music and camping event. Robert Neron, who hosts Hempfest on his property (which is affectionately known as Chez Willy's Place), said it has become somewhat of a beloved tradition for those who attend every year. [continues 870 words]
We hope the north east local health integration network is not only fully aware of the funding shortages affecting addiction services in this region - but already acting upon it. After all, it was just a few weeks ago, the North East LHIN was presented with a consultant's report identifying gaps and challenges northerners face accessing addiction services. Brian Rush, the consultant who was hired to conduct the analysis, found while there are excellent addiction programs in larger centres throughout the north, there is not enough access in rural and remote areas. [continues 317 words]
Robert Neron's legal troubles started five years ago when he asked the Ontario Provincial Police in Kapuskasing to lay a charge against Health Canada. It signalled to police that Neron, a long-time user and advocate for medical marijuana, was no longer licensed to possess or grow his own cannabis at his Moonbeam residence. On Tuesday, Neron, 50, pleaded guilty in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Timmins to production of cannabis and two counts of possession of cannabis resin and cannabis marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. All three drug charges were laid against him during this period when his licence to legally possess cannabis had lapsed. [continues 838 words]
A longtime local advocate for users of medical marijuana failed to convince a Superior Court judge in Timmins that drug charges police laid against him were unconstitutional. Robert Neron argued in his own defence that recent federal court rulings, including a decision in February striking down the Medical Marijuana Access Regulations in Canada, was directly applicable to his own case. Neron was charged in March 2011 with 11 drug offenses including several counts each of production and possession of controlled substances, and possession for the purpose of trafficking. [continues 430 words]
Ottawa Health Centre Joins List of Proposed Safe-Injection Sites OTTAWA - Public consultations begin Monday on a controversial proposal by the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre to give injection-drug users a safe place to feed their addictions. The health centre wants to add a small-scale facility - with room for four or five injection drug users - to its existing cluster of services. "The goal for us is to provide some education to the local community in terms of some of the myths and misunderstandings about a supervised injection service," said health centre executive Rob Boyd. "And we want to hear what they have to say about our service model." [continues 711 words]
It was a full-house at the Timmins Public Library on Saturday afternoon as 40 youngsters celebrated Daren the DARE Lion's 20th birthday. The lion is the mascot for the Timmins Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, which also marked 20 years of serving the community at the event on Jan. 30. "Twenty years in anything is quite the achievement, so we're proud of that," said Const. Rick Lemieux, the Timmins Police DARE officer. "We had 40 spaces available, and 40 kids showed up, so it's a huge success; they're having a blast." [continues 758 words]
MOOSE FACTORY - An effort is being made to cut off the flow of illegal drugs making its way into Moose Cree First Nation. The First Nation announced Wednesday it will be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of its own money to pay for two additional police officers and their equipment to begin working in the island community for the next year to crack down on drug trafficking. The additional officers will be sent to Moose Factory from the Nishnawbe-aski Police Service (NAPS) but according to the force they will be regular-duty officers, not drug enforcement officers. [continues 425 words]
With the possibility of liberalized marijuana laws being passed in Canada in this year, there is also a concern about how that will play out in terms of impaired driving caused by drugs. Steve Meunier, the president of the Timmins chapter of MADD Canada (Mother's Against Drunk Driving), said the concern is a valid one. "MADD is obviously concerned about this at a corporate level, and that focuses down to the chapters as well, and of course we are all concerned," said Meunier. [continues 846 words]
Cannabis (marijuana) prohibition, the act of caging responsible adults for using the relatively safe, extremely popular God-given plant, has been very lucrative for the institution of policing. I refer to The Daily Press story, "No Good Can Come Of This," published on Dec. 5. It would be surprising for Timmins Police Chief John Gauthier to think rationally regarding cannabis and give up the decades old gravy train. Discriminating against citizens, especially sick citizens, who use cannabis is on its last leg and should not be tolerated by civilized society any longer. Police should devote all of their attention to protecting citizens. Stan White, Dillon, Col. [end]
Legalization of marijuana was a terrific attention-getter for Justin Trudeau in 2013, and a powerful emblem of change. It highlighted his youth and cool. It made Stephen Harper and his sternly anti-pot front bench look like fussy old bores; Sister Matilda, waggling a disapproving finger at the rambunctious kids at the back of the bus. But that was then. Scratch beneath the surface and the file is rife with complex problems - social, legal and political. Members of the snowboard-and-munchie set, consequently, may have to wait a bit before they can present themselves, bong in hand, at the liquor store, and order a gram of what we used to call the polio, which removes one's ability to stand up. [continues 533 words]
Prospects of legalized marijuana draws mixed reaction - though TPS chief expects big trouble TIMMINS - Almost two months after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to legalize marijuana, the practical implications of that promise are still half-baked. While the country is anxious to see if Trudeau will make good on that promise, here in Timmins, a strong divide exists between those in favour of the legalization process and those who are staunchly opposed. As for Timmins Police Chief John Gauthier, his stance on the issue is far from hazy. [continues 1136 words]
MONTREAL - Quebec healthcare workers and politicians say they expect the new federal government to approve their application for supervised, illicit-drug injection sites in Montreal, which will make the city the second in Canada to host the controversial harm-reduction program. But some are warning the strict law passed before the Conservatives left office will mean potential injection site operators will have to navigate a complicated legal maze aimed at preventing these sites from opening. The chairman of the health centre expected to house Montreal's first legal injection site said he has "no doubt" the new Liberal health minister will approve the application after months of what he calls Conservative "stalling." [continues 584 words]
We're in this for the long haul. Well, at least for four years. While only 39.5% of the electorate voted for Liberal candidates, Justin Trudeau will be governing with a majority mandate. It's full steam ahead with his agenda. There will be plenty of time to critique his forthcoming missteps and gaffes. And make no mistake, they're coming. But let's take a look at several upcoming issues that Trudeau will hopefully get right in a way that most Canadians should applaud him for: [continues 525 words]
A few weeks ago, as an exercise in civic awareness, students at a high school participated in a mock federal election. They predicted a massive Liberal sweep. I wondered if the results had more to do with the prevailing sentiment for change, or Justin Trudeau's campaign promise to legalize marijuana. In homes with teens, dinner table conversations have no doubt entered new and interesting territory. "If the government makes it legal, can I buy it?" The short answer is: No. Trudeau hasn't fleshed out the details of how legalized marijuana will be grown and distributed, but he has made clear one of his guiding priorities is to keep it out of the hands of minors. On the campaign trail, Trudeau frequently compared our failed enforcement-based approach with Prohibition, noting kids today can get their hands on marijuana more easily than alcohol. [continues 276 words]
Three of 4 candidates running in T-JB support decriminalizing marijuana. Recreational use of marijuana has been illegal in Canada since 1908, but this has never really stopped people from using it. According to a Statistics Canada study released this past spring, half of all Canadian men and a bit more than one-third of women have used marijuana before. At the same time, however, the widespread availability of marijuana has allowed 30% of youth under 18 to use it as well. That data is self-reported, which has a problem of respondents giving what they believe is the socially acceptable answer, so the number of people using marijuana is likely higher than that for both adults and minors. [continues 702 words]
Smiley-faced cookies are returning to local Tim Hortons coffee shops next week to help raise money for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program. It is a program which members of the Timmins Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police will once again be conducting with students in local schools starting next week. The Smile Cookie campaign has been a fundraising initiative in Timmins since 2003, and in that time it has raised $160,000 for the DARE program. This year, local police officials are hoping to raise another $8,000 from cookie sales. [continues 267 words]
Coderre Says Move Is About 'Public Safety' Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre didn't hold back during a joint news conference with Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau on Thursday, promising to ensure proposed drug-injection sites open in the city - even over federal objections. The mayor, who met Trudeau to discuss issues including safe injection sites, has previously said he would give the federal government until the end of the summer to approve four locations in Montreal. Coderre made it clear he will move ahead regardless. [continues 401 words]
Many theatre-lovers think Shakespeare is dope. Now it's being suggested that he smoked the stuff. Last month some anthropologists announced that four 17th-century pipes unearthed from Shakespeare's garden contain traces of cannabis. Whoa! Maybe that explains that line from Macbeth: "Is this a dagger which I see before me, Dude?" Who knew that Sir Walter Raleigh brought something wackier than tobacco and rolling papers back from his expeditions to the New World? If the bard were alive, methinks he'd claim those pipes really belonged to his best bud Ben Jonson. [continues 540 words]
Organizer Hopes Smokin' Live Bands Are a Big Draw for Annual Festival MOONBEAM - Robert Neron is the voice on the other end of the line and apologizes for not getting to the phone earlier. "I just came from outside to pick up branches and make the lot more campable." As the organizer and host of the 17th-annual Hempfest being held in Moonbeam later this month, Neron said he has been busy making preparations to accommodate festival goers. He described the week-long event as primarily a music festival, though traditionally most people who attend are advocates or supporters of decriminalization and freer access to marijuana for both recreational and medicinal uses. [continues 652 words]
Revenue Will Double Almost Immediately If Recreational Marijuana Becomes Legal The legalized pot industry is quickly moving into the mainstream of Canada's business and legal communities. Driving growth is the new Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulation (MMPR), which last year replaced the former home growing regime with a system that allows for the commercial production and distribution of marijuana by private companies licensed by Health Canada. As of June 2015, the federal government had issued licences to 25 producers. Meanwhile, almost 100 medical marijuana "dispensaries" have opened in Vancouver. [continues 632 words]
Police: Parents Fill Dante Club for Presentation It appeared many people in Timmins were ready for a frank discussion about the drug use and addiction issues going on within their community. And that's what the people who filled the main ballroom at the Dante Club got on Tuesday evening during the first Straight Talk on Drugs dinner, which was organized by the Timmins Police Association. Although police frequently visit schools to warn students about the dangers and consequences of taking drug abuse, it is not often that events are organized to help inform the parents and families of people who are, or are at risk of becoming addicted to drugs. One of the night's speakers, Yvonne McClinchey who is the clinical supervisor at South Cochrane Addiction Services noted that holding event at all was an accomplishment. [continues 537 words]
Parents who had only benign experiences with drugs in their youth may have cloudy judgement when it comes to assessing the risks their own children may be getting into, says Timmins Police Const. Matthew Beerman. Beerman concedes many parents, who recall on their own youthful experiences, may think it's no big deal if their kids experiment with weed. The problem with that logic is that there is no comparison, said Beerman. He said when you consider the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content of today's marijuana, along with some of the processes kids are applying to enhance its potency, it is just not the same substance. [continues 332 words]
For decades, marijuana has drug of choice for young looking to get high. However, the use of methamphetamines is dramatically on the rise. "Kids still smoke marijuana but speed (methamphetamines) has become a very big problem," said Timmins Police Const. Matthew Beerman, who is spearheading a Straight Talk on Drugs session for parents next week. "Also, now kids are taking marijuana and they are using butane to break it down and turning it into a substance called dab or shatter which is a highly concentrated form of marijuana and it is very dangerous. High experienced users can take it once and end up in the hospital on an overdose." [continues 555 words]
Timmins Police Service continues to be at the forefront of efforts to keep local children from getting involved with illegal drugs. Its DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program - delivered to students at the Grade 6 level - has been having a positive impact in our community for a number of years. And now Timmins Police Service has begun to reinforce that message at the Grade 8 level with its Keeping It Real program. "The instructors are a little bit more serious about telling the students about the challenges they are going to face going into high school," Chief Gauthier noted during a recent interview. [continues 273 words]
It's about time the Ontario government beefed up legislation to include new penalties for drug-impaired drivers. As the use of narcotics, both prescribed and illegal, becomes more prevalent, their use is having an impact on our roads. Ontario must deal with drugs and driving in the same fashion as with drinking and driving-with tough laws. And so the government's announcement Tuesday is appropriate. It is proposing amendments to its distracted driving bill that would include new penalties for drug-impaired drivers. [continues 278 words]
OTTAWA- The NDP and Liberals say the Conservative-dominated health committee report on marijuana is biased, inherently flawed, and omits evidence that contradicts Conservative ideology. The health committee's report, called "Health Risks and Harms of Marijuana," recommends the government try to prevent marijuana use in Canada as well as raise awareness to the drug's harmful effects. Health committee chairman and Conservative MP Ben Lobb did not return QMI Agency's request for comment on Tuesday. The NDP and Liberals rejected the committee's majority report. New Democrats on the committee said testimony "that did not support (the Conservatives') pre-conceived views about marijuana ... was dismissed and eliminated." [continues 105 words]
OTTAWA - Canada's drug policy is a failure and it is killing people in communities across the country, drug-reform activists said Tuesday in Ottawa. Drug activists, health lobbyists and other leaders in the field, including the Liberal Party's health critic, gathered on Parliament Hill for a press conference to advocate for a fairer drug policy than the current one they say unfairly criminalizes drugs users and leads to the mistreatment of addiction. The speakers on Tuesday all wanted Canada's drug policies reformed, but the divergence in their messages reflected the difficulties in rallying public opinion in favour of changing the way addicts are treated and how drugs are distributed in Canada. [continues 192 words]
The North: Live Music, Politics, Pot Smoking On The Agenda MOONBEAM - There was laughter, tears and the occasional cloud of smoke at Hempfest 2014 in Moonbeam on the weekend. And though there was plenty of beer on hand, this party was BYOB: Bring your own bong. In a large hall inside festival organizer Robert "Willy Jack" Neron's home in Moonbeam, live music and dancing kept around 100 people entertained throughout the weekend. Outside, dozens of tents lined the premises. Usually held in Sault Ste. Marie, Neron explained the path the festival took to get back to his hometown of Moonbeam, just outside of Kapuskasing. [continues 870 words]
Hempfest Lands in Moonbeam This Weekend MOONBEAM - The organizer of a pro-marijuana festival believes the drug should remain out of politician hands. Organizers for Hempfest Canada announced that the 16th annual celebration would not be held in Sault Ste. Marie, where it has called home for the past few years, but instead in Moonbeam. The main goal of Hempfest, which takes place this weekend, is to educate the public on the proper use of medical marijuana. Robert Neron, the organizer of the event, explained he decided to move the event for financial reasons. It would be cheaper for him to host it in Moonbeam because he owns the hall where the event will be held. If it was held in Sault Ste. Marie, Neron said he would have to rent and that would cost at least $20,000. [continues 315 words]
NDP Leader Says It Doesn't Make Sense To Criminalize Marijuana Users OTTAWA - NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said he believes the decision to smoke weed is a personal one and not something with which the Criminal Code should concern itself. Officially, the NDP's position is in favour of decriminalization, though Mulcair says more stakeholder consultation is needed to understand the implications of changing marijuana laws. Speaking at the Canadian Medical Association's general meeting Wednesday, Mulcair said it doesn't make sense to criminalize weed smokers. [continues 178 words]
