Canada considers legalising cannabis
The report places cannabis on par with wine
A Canadian senate committee has recommended that the government completely legalise the use of marijuana by adults.
The specially appointed committee said in a 600-page report that the current system of prohibition does not work and should be replaced by regulations similar to those that license alcohol use.
In a free society as ours, it's up to the individual to decide whether to consume cannabis or not
Pierre Nolin, Progressive Conservative party
The report placed marijuana on a par with beer or wine.
The recommendations, however, are not official government policy and have been criticised by Canadian police and politicians.
The senators' report said there was overwhelming scientific evidence that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol.
Cannabis possession and consumption should not be treated as a criminal issue at all but as a social and public health issue, the committee concluded.
Amnesty
The senators recommended an amnesty for any Canadian who currently has a criminal record for marijuana possession.
"There is no good reason to subject the consumers of cannabis to the application of criminal law," Senator Pierre Nolin of the Progressive Conservative party said.
Cannabis use 'should be treated as a public health issue'
"In a free society as ours, it's up to the individual to decide whether to consume cannabis or not."
But the committee said there must be a strong emphasis on tackling illegal trafficking and on education programmes aimed at drug prevention.
The senators said they believe Canadian public opinion on marijuana is more liberal than it was a decade ago.
Opposition
But the recommendations do not have cross-party support.
Randy White of the opposition Canadian Alliance Party predicted an outcry from Canada's powerful neighbour.
"Should Canada go ahead with legalisation of marijuana, there is going to be some significant problems with the Americans and we shouldn't underestimate that," he said.
The US has already complained to the Canadian authorities about marijuana grown and trafficked from Canada's West Coast.
The Canadian Police Association also opposed the move, calling the recommendations "irresponsible".
It will be up to the country's auditor general and justice minister to respond to the senators and decide whether to go ahead with legislation to legalise marijuana in Canada.
Why shouldn't they legalize pot? I mean how many people have died from an overdose of pot? None that I know of....How many people die from an overdose of alcohol? millions have.
Why shouldn't they legalize pot? I mean how many people have died from an overdose of pot? None that I know of....How many people die from an overdose of alcohol? millions have.
It would be hard to actually document the # of people that may have been killed as a result of smoking pot. Some folks may have been stoned and fallen asleep at the wheel, mis-cued on the controls at a stamping plant, hit someone else while driving stoned and the one killed was an innocent...not stoned....I'll bet (though I can't prove it) that some folks have died as a result of firearms accidents while stoned...I would say that in those cases there exists the chance that the pot contributed to their accident (Wow man...coool lookin' recessed muzzle!!! BOOM)...., I would have to agree that the # of those that have died from pot overdose would be hard to document, .. maybe it is ZERO...I don't know. The lung damage must be failry extensive though...as with any other smoker. I don't care if you smoke cigars, cigarettes, stand in a pile of burning leaves, or inhale coal exhaust....your lungs are fragile tissues and pot probably has a negative affect on them.
Why shouldn't they legalize pot? I mean how many people have died from an overdose of pot?
Hell, as long as we can't stack the bodies up, lets support a product that is born and bred out of massive criminal activity and murder, as well as supportive of many communist regimes.
So when is "enough", enough. How about legalizing coke - as long as you don't do "too much".
And lets not forget the cost to everyone else, because as we all know, smokig pot NEVER has a parallel with other activity that costs the taxpayers a fortune.
The government has no business on what people take into their own bodies for recreational purposes. As long as those folks do it int he privacy of their own home without endangering the lives of other people (parents; driving under the influence; etc.)
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Freedom loving atheist...you know, just to mess with your heads.
Yea you are right sit in your apartment cause you can't afford a house,breed some more kids you can't raise.Then go hit the local stop & rob for your weekend blast.
I see no problems from you spending your life stoned.[:'(]
The government has no business on what people take into their own bodies for recreational purposes.
So then you would be all for defunding all sorts of rehab programs etc.?
Who is going to pay the piper when all these "recreational" drugs are responsible for your death when someone who is just "minding his own business" beats you over the head for your wallet so he can buy some more of this "innnocuous" stuff?
Survival of the fittest and natural selection includes making the right decisions.
Anyways, it"™s their country and I see this as not having any negative effects on the USA.
The key here is not to cave into all the liberal socialist groups that will try to rehab these users. Let them choose a path and follow it to where it leads them.
Well its evil, wicked, mean, and nasty...
