decriminalization

Wednesday May 11, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday May 11, 2016 Jean Chretien says criminal records for pot possession 'completely unacceptable' Jean ChrŽtien says politicians have to adjust to changing times, as his own views on marijuana, capital punishment and other contentious issues evolved after he was first elected in the early 1960s. Whether it's pot smoking, abortion, gay marriage or the death penalty, the former prime minister says he's tried to reflect the spirit of the times Ñ even if his changing politics put him in conflict with his conservative upbringing in a large, Roman Catholic family in rural Quebec. "What were certain values 50 years ago, are not the same today. We have to live with that. It's not always easy," he said. When asked Monday about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to legalize the sale of marijuana, ChrŽtien said he is in favour of decriminalization. "What is completely unacceptable, in my judgment, is a young man smoking marijuana will have a criminal record for the rest of his life, (and) he can't cross the border Ñ come on," ChrŽtien said after a ceremony marking the official opening of a public policy think-tank at Dalhousie University in Halifax. "It is the modern thing to do ... You have to adjust to the new life.Ó When ChrŽtien was prime minister, his government tried in 2003 to pass a law decriminalizing simple possession of small amounts of marijuana, but the bill died when Parliament was prorogued. Earlier this year, Liberal MP Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief, said Criminal Code provisions on marijuana must be upheld until legalization is in place. Blair, parliamentary secretary to the justice minister, is the Trudeau government's point man on the issue. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair has said the government should decriminalize marijuana right away. "I'm glad Mr. ChrŽtien agrees with us, that would be my comment," NDP justice critic Murray Rankin said Monday. ChrŽtien, 82, said he

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday May 11, 2016

Jean Chretien says criminal records for pot possession ‘completely unacceptable’

Jean Chrétien says politicians have to adjust to changing times, as his own views on marijuana, capital punishment and other contentious issues evolved after he was first elected in the early 1960s.

April 8, 2003

Whether it’s pot smoking, abortion, gay marriage or the death penalty, the former prime minister says he’s tried to reflect the spirit of the times — even if his changing politics put him in conflict with his conservative upbringing in a large, Roman Catholic family in rural Quebec.

“What were certain values 50 years ago, are not the same today. We have to live with that. It’s not always easy,” he said.

When asked Monday about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to legalize the sale of marijuana, Chrétien said he is in favour of decriminalization.

Monday, July 29, 2013

July 29, 2013

“What is completely unacceptable, in my judgment, is a young man smoking marijuana will have a criminal record for the rest of his life, (and) he can’t cross the border — come on,” Chrétien said after a ceremony marking the official opening of a public policy think-tank at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

“It is the modern thing to do … You have to adjust to the new life.”

When Chrétien was prime minister, his government tried in 2003 to pass a law decriminalizing simple possession of small amounts of marijuana, but the bill died when Parliament was prorogued.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday January 13, 2016 The Blair roach project has won a powerful supporter. Premier Kathleen Wynne said she is pleased Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, now Scarborough Southwest MP, to lead the marijuana legalization efforts. ÒI have a lot of respect for Bill Blair. I think that heÕll do a great job and his taking on of that role is the beginning of that national conversation that I said we have to have,Ó Wynne told reporters Monday at QueenÕs Park. The premier added that she was heartened that Blair is embracing her proposal to have cannabis sold through government-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario outlets. ÒIÕm encouraged that he had, as a preliminary approach, that he thinks that it might make sense to use a distribution network thatÕs in place, . . . (although thatÕs) not a foregone conclusion,Ó she said. ÒHeÕs got a lot of people to talk to and heÕs got a lot of questions to ask and a lot of decisions to make over the coming months, so I look forward to that conversation.Ó Blair, a rookie MP who is parliamentary secretary to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, will work with a three-member cabinet team and a soon-to-be-named federal-provincial-territorial task force to develop the policy for legalizing marijuana. On Friday, Blair said Ottawa will look to Colorado and other jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana sales. ÒWe have pretty robust systems of regulation for other intoxicants in this country, mostly overseen by the provinces, and so weÕve already got a model, a framework we can build on here,Ó he said. ÒI think there are certain modifications or adjustments that we may have to make for cannabis as opposed to alcohol, but I think there is already a strong system in place for the control and regulationÓ of marijuana sales here. The police veteran, who himself has never smoked marijuana, pointed out that it is Òvery difficul

January 13, 2016

Earlier this year, Liberal MP Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief, said Criminal Code provisions on marijuana must be upheld until legalization is in place.

Blair, parliamentary secretary to the justice minister, is the Trudeau government’s point man on the issue.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair has said the government should decriminalize marijuana right away.

“I’m glad Mr. Chrétien agrees with us, that would be my comment,” NDP justice critic Murray Rankin said Monday.

Chrétien, 82, said he has never smoked cigarettes and he’s never tried pot.

“I don’t know what it is and I never tasted that,” he said. “I don’t know what is the effect.” (Source: CBC News)

2016-05-11tearsheet

Monday, July 29, 2013

 

Monday, July 29, 2013

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday, July 29, 2013

Trudeau’s legalization stand set to revive debate on cannabis

Justin Trudeau’s enthusiastic embrace of the legalization of marijuana has fired up the debate over Canadian drug laws and exposed stark differences among major political parties on the way to treat the country’s numerous pot smokers.

The Liberal Leader, who had expressed reservations about loosening up Canada’s marijuana regime in the past, said his position has “evolved,” placing him in the camp of those who would see cannabis regulated and taxed by the government, and sold legally.

The stand places the Liberal Party on a collision course on the road to the 2015 elections with the Conservative government, which is solidly in favour of the status quo, and the NDP, which would only go as far as decriminalizing the possession of small quantities of marijuana.

Mr. Trudeau is the first leader of a major Canadian political party to advocate for legal pot – and he takes that position as his party and the NDP fight to capture the progressive side of the political spectrum in the next two years.

At the end of a tour of British Columbia, where illegal pot crops abound and the pro-marijuana culture has flourished, Mr. Trudeau said he does not advocate drug use. Still, he added that regulating and taxing marijuana would keep it out of the hands of young people and allow for the development of the medical marijuana industry.

He argued the current approach to drugs is not working and that Canada would do well to follow the lead of Washington State and Colorado, which voted in favour of marijuana legalization last year.

“Listen, marijuana is not a health food supplement, it’s not great for you,” he told reporters Thursday. (Source: The Globe & Mail)