NationStates Jolt Archive

So you thin k this is liberal? (http://sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/06/01/marijuana-sentence0601.html)

Our Government has tried to deal with the issue using common sense, but the police and sometimes the courts regualily disregard the policy of the Federal Government of Canada in this area. Im mostly happens in hick town on the east coast or in Alberta, but anywhere the police have bought completely into the War On Drugs (I call it The War For Votes) myth thats been entrencehed deeply in our Southern neighbours psyche.

Though medical matijuana is a prescribable drug, actually gettoing a prescriptiion is devilishly hard, and in my fathers case, he was told that if he got the "Green" Card, they'd take away his drivers licence. True de-criminalization will not happen until the oldtimers in our police forces and justice ministry start retiring and dying off. These old coots will never change their minds and they don't really care what the gov't says. Canada should give them al early retirement and buy them condos in Florida, where they'd be to engrossed by Golf or Viagra to stick their nose where they don't belong.

I think any government the decriminalizes Marijuana after running a decades long interdiction war against it would run smack into the same problem. You can change the laws rather quickly, but attitudes take much longer to change. Whether Decriminalizatio is the best or worst decision for society, such an abropt change in policies will be resisted fiercely. What do you guys think about this issue.

No matter where I've been to in the USA, when people find out I'm Canadian, about 85% bring up the subject of Canadas drug laws regarding weed. Some like it, some don't, some just think its kinda funny but all of them refer to Canadas drug laws in general as so liberal that weed is practicly legal for everyone here. Is that the media or the govt's fault? Our sentencing isn't so frighteningly harsh, yes, and theres a law on the books to make possession of under 3.5grams punishable by fine, but the police and other segments of society are fighting against it and enforcing their spirit of the law as the only one that matters, and they don't like it.

They have every right not to, and while I strongly dislike the police policies in regard to thses laws, I'm not at all surprised at the situation. These people are making a stand for something they beleive in, I have no doubt of that. I just don't they way their doing it because my philosophy is it odds with theirs.

I think Canadians are extremely liberal where marijuana is concerned, far more liberal than the neighbouring American government would like us to be. This is probably the one remaining reason why our laws have yet to be updated to reflect the reality of our collective outlook.

Because of a bunch of uptight, puritanical, busybody foreigners. Feh. Lemme fill my bowl...again.

I think our image about it is mostly due to the discretion and sympathy cops and judge will show. In Quebec, if you get cougth with pot (say less than 7g) most of the time the cops will simply look at your record, and if you have nothing he will let you go. They dont want to screw your life with a criminal record.

Also, judge seem to go easy on growers. For a first offence, most of the time they will only get a fine (under 20 000$) with little jail time (less then a month). Since they can make 60 000 - 200 000 a years, many people tend to see it as buisness opportunity.

They are harsh on massive grow-ops, but they are nice about small amounts and a plant or two. That's perfectly normal. I mean, if the cops stormed my apartment, sure they'd find my puny stash, but without a warrant to search through the non-visible places they couldn't charge me.