Canada Scraps Plan to Decriminalize Marijuana

[Frodo]

Canada scraps plan to decriminalize marijuana use

2 hours, 50 minutes ago

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's new Conservative government will scrap draft legislation which would have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Monday.

The legislation, drawn up by the previous Liberal government, alarmed police officials in Canada and the neighboring United States who said it would only encourage the already booming trade in pot.

Once the Liberals lost the January 23 election after 12 years in power, the bill looked to be in deep trouble. One of Harper's five priorities is to clamp down on crime.

"We will not be reintroducing the Liberal government's marijuana decriminalization legislation," he told a meeting of the Canadian Professional Police Association.

"I thought we might find a receptive audience here," he told his audience after winning a round of applause.

Under the Liberal bill, people found with small amounts of marijuana would have been fined but would not have received a criminal record.

Canadian police complain that judges often hand down lenient sentences on people found guilty of running operations to grow marijuana illegally.

Estimates for the value of Canada's booming pot business trade vary widely and some experts say it is worth C$10 billion (US$8.5 billion) a year. The main center is the Pacific province of British Columbia, where criminals export potent marijuana, known as BC Bud, to the United States.

[minionofmidas]

Lewis Trondheim scraps plan to decriminalize existence of Steven Harper.

[MODU]

Good for them.

[opebo]

Good for them.

Why do you hate freedom so much, MODU?

[Gabu]

Bah.

The argument is ludicrous that it will somehow make everyone in the country become a deadbeat stoner if you simply decriminalize pot.

[Hatman 🍁]

Just wait a few months, and we will have a new government.

[??????????]

Bah.

The argument is ludicrous that it will somehow make everyone in the country become a deadbeat stoner if you simply decriminalize pot.

Explain BC then?

[Alcon]

Bah.

The argument is ludicrous that it will somehow make everyone in the country become a deadbeat stoner if you simply decriminalize pot.

Explain BC then?

Have you ever actually been to B.C. (at least outside of downside Vancouver)?  I never smell pot in Victoria, and it's no worse than ciagrette smoke in American cities.

[Gabu]

Bah.

The argument is ludicrous that it will somehow make everyone in the country become a deadbeat stoner if you simply decriminalize pot.

Explain BC then?

Explain in terms of what?  If you're using it as an example for how criminalizing marijuana doesn't make it drop off the face of the planet, and for how, in fact, criminalizing marijuana just gives those in the black market lots of business, then yes, I agree, BC is a good example.

I would not agree it's a good example of an entire populace becoming deadbeat stoners due to easy access to pot, because the large majority of people I know are not deadbeat stoners, and quite frankly, the minority of people I do know who are deadbeat stoners would still be deadbeat stoners if the punishment for smoking pot was greater.

[MODU]

Good for them.

Why do you hate freedom so much, MODU?

hahaha . . . I don't.  I just like to make your life a living hell. 

[??????????]

Bah.

The argument is ludicrous that it will somehow make everyone in the country become a deadbeat stoner if you simply decriminalize pot.

Explain BC then?

Explain in terms of what?  If you're using it as an example for how criminalizing marijuana doesn't make it drop off the face of the planet, and for how, in fact, criminalizing marijuana just gives those in the black market lots of business, then yes, I agree, BC is a good example.

I would not agree it's a good example of an entire populace becoming deadbeat stoners due to easy access to pot, because the large majority of people I know are not deadbeat stoners, and quite frankly, the minority of people I do know who are deadbeat stoners would still be deadbeat stoners if the punishment for smoking pot was greater.

Geesh, it was a joke.

[Speed of Sound]

Truly a shame. Well, we'll just have to wait for the next government, I suppose.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Aww hell no

[MasterJedi]

Good for them.

^^^^^

[opebo]

Good for them.

Why do you hate freedom so much, MODU?

hahaha . . . I don't.  I just like to make your life a living hell. 

Actually this particular form of oppression does not effect me directly, as I do not like marijuana.  Of course, like any normal person I feel perturbed when I see others oppressed, even if I do not share their predelictions.

[MODU]

Actually this particular form of oppression does not effect me directly, as I do not like marijuana.  Of course, like any normal person I feel perturbed when I see others oppressed, even if I do not share their predelictions.

Well, once I see someone being oppressed, I'll let you know.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

THe govenrment regulating what people do with their own bodies is opression.

[MODU]

THe govenrment regulating what people do with their own bodies is opression.

hahah . . . that's nothin'!

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

THe govenrment regulating what people do with their own bodies is opression.

hahah . . . that's nothin'!

Yes it is. As far as I'm concerned you just need the govenrment to manage some economics things(limited safety net and some environemtnal regulations) but in general people need to be left alone and not "Governed"

[??????????]

THe govenrment regulating what people do with their own bodies is opression.

hahah . . . that's nothin'!

Yep, that's nothing compared to the rest of the awful stuff they do. I mean, they FORCE you to wear a seatbelt, that's oppression at the basic level.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

THe govenrment regulating what people do with their own bodies is opression.

hahah . . . that's nothin'!

Yep, that's nothing compared to the rest of the awful stuff they do. I mean, they FORCE you to wear a seatbelt, that's oppression at the basic level.

...

You know what I meant. I'm talking about laws that force christian "morality" on those of us who are'nt christians. I'm talking about criminalization of marijuana, attempts to illegalize the morning after pill, public intoxication laws, excise taxes on booze, bans on prostitution and the existence of the FCC's censorship to name a few.

[??????????]

THe govenrment regulating what people do with their own bodies is opression.

hahah . . . that's nothin'!

Yep, that's nothing compared to the rest of the awful stuff they do. I mean, they FORCE you to wear a seatbelt, that's oppression at the basic level.

...

You know what I meant. I'm talking about laws that force christian "morality" on those of us who aren't Christians. I'm talking about criminalization of marijuana, attempts to illegalize the morning after pill, public intoxication laws, excise taxes on booze, bans on prostitution and the existence of the FCC's censorship to name a few.

I bolded the parts I agree with for the record.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

you are surprisingly non-evil for a fascist

[Cubby]

And Earl wonders why I supported Martin in January........This is why. Harper's Reign of Alberta Morality begins.

I agree with his decision but thats beside the point. I can't wait to see what laws he overturns or brings up next.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Harper is from Etobicoke