Pubdate: Mon, 23 Jan 2012
Source: Brock Press, The (CN ON Edu)
Copyright: 2012 The Brock Press.
Contact: http://www.brockpress.com/main.cfm?include=submit
Website: http://www.brockpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2865
Author: Ariana Fiocca

CANNABIS AND THE CROWN

At the biannual Liberal Party convention, on Jan. 15, party delegates 
voted in favour of the legalization of marijuana and against 
separation from the British monarchy.

These two proposals were heatedly contested within the party - a 
party trying to find platforms that will win over Canadians to help 
pull it back up from the results of the last federal election.

The vote as to whether Canada should separate from the monarchy was 
close, out of 1,200 delegates who voted, 67 per cent were opposed to 
separation - a similar split is seen among Canadians, who, according 
to a National Post survey, are 43 per cent in favour and 43 per cent 
are opposed, with 14 per cent having no specific opinion.

The vote to potentially put the legalization of marijuana on the 
party platform was less divisive with 77 per cent of delegates in favour.

According to a statement from Samuel Lavoie, President of Young 
Liberals of Canada, while the majority of delegates voted in favour 
of legalization, that does not necessarily mean that the proposal 
will become part of the Official Party Platform for 2015.

Emily Miller, third year Brock University Political Science major, 
said that she believes that by advocating the legalization of 
marijuana the Liberal Party is attempting to regain followers after a 
poor showing in the last federal election.

"It is being advertised as a measure against the 'war on drugs', 
[however] it is a much more effective wedge issue with which the 
Liberals can gain support," said Miller.

Since 2001, when Canada legalized marijuana for medical purposes, the 
Liberal party has been in favour of the decriminalization of 
marijuana, however, this vote may put them alongside the NDP in the 
out right legalization of the drug.

So far the only party which includes legalization in its platform and 
also has members in the House of Commons is the Green Party.

Liberal Party officials have said that abolishing the monarchy is far 
more divisive than the legalization of marijuana.

"The vote to maintain the connection with the monarchy says to me 
that those voting have some respect for the integral part that the 
monarchy played in Canadian history," said Miller.

Miller also pointed out that Aboriginal treaties are typically with 
the crown, and separating could then therefor nullify these treaties.

"[They] are trying to avoid the complications that would stem from 
abolishing the monarchy including Aboriginal treaties [...] and the 
possibility of a politicized head of state."

Although the votes have been cast by the Liberal delegates, whether 
or not either of these propositions make it into the next party 
platform is still up for debate and rests on the party leader.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom