Pubdate: Thu, 31 Jul 2014
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Page: A1
Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html
Website: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Mark Kennedy
Referenced: 2014 national justice survey:
http://mapinc.org/url/5DpzjD3O

FEDERAL POLL SHOWS CANADIANS WANT MARIJUANA LAWS CHANGED

More than two-thirds of Canadians want this country marijuana's laws
to be softened, according to an opinion poll conducted for the federal
government earlier this year.

And while a small majority of the public believes companies should not
be permitted to sell marijuana just as they sell alcohol and
cigarettes, it's clear that many Canadians have no problem with the
proposition. Among the highlights: 37.3 per cent say marijuana should
be legalized; 33.4 per cent say possession of small amounts of
marijuana should be decriminalized with a fine rather than a criminal
record; Just 13.7 per cent say the country's marijuana laws should
stay the same; 12 per cent said marijuana penalties should be increased.

The results of the national survey of 3,000 people, commissioned by
the Department of Justice, is bound to add fuel to the political
debate now intensifying in advance of the 2015 election. The Liberals
under Justin Trudeau are advocating the legalization of marijuana so
that its sale is regulated and pot is harder for youths to obtain.

The Conservatives say they won't take that step because they believe
it would lead to more kids smoking marijuana. Instead, the government
is considering allowing police to lay fines against those who are
caught with small amounts of marijuana.

As both parties prepare for the political battle, the government hired
Ipsos-Reid to conduct focus groups and an extensive poll to gauge
Canadians' views on hot-button issues such as marijuana and
prostitution.

The results of the research were posted online by the government
Wednesday and provide an explanatory backdrop to its policy agenda.

"The government of Canada wanted a clear and current understanding of
the Canadian public opinion on a range of justice issues," said the
report.

"This research was conducted to provide insight into the views,
concerns and priorities of Canadians on criminal justice issues."

The poll, conducted Jan. 30 to Feb. 7, found Canadians were relatively
divided about how the government should legislate on prostitution. In
early June, Justice Minister Peter MacKay introduced contentious
legislation to prohibit the purchase of sex from prostitutes.

It also bans sex workers from selling their services near schools,
playgrounds and daycare centres. Critics say the bill is deeply flawed
and will eventually be struck down by the courts.

By comparison, the poll suggested Canadians are not happy with the
status quo on marijuana.

It found that many Canadians don't think legalization would increase
pot-smoking in this country: 52.6 per cent believe marijuana use would
"stay about the same" if legalized, 38.4 per cent say it would
increase, and 6.3 per cent say it would decrease.

If marijuana is legalized in Canada, it is unclear how it would be
distributed and who would be allowed to sell it. The pollster asked
Canadians if "companies" should be "allowed to produce and promote the
sale of marijuana just like tobacco and alcohol." In response, 55.6
per cent said no, and 42.4 per cent said yes.

Meanwhile, 82.9 per cent of Canadians believe marijuana should be
legally available for doctors to prescribe to their patients -
something that is now allowed.

In the 14 different "focus groups" gathered by the pollster for
in-depth discussions on the issue involving 10 people, summaries of
sentiments - rather than numerical findings - were provided.

Most focus group participants supported either leaving the law alone
or imposing a fine on people with small amounts of marijuana so they
would not have a criminal record. There was some support for
legalization in focus groups held in British Columbia, said the
pollster, but outside the province, there was "very little support."

Deputy Liberal Leader Ralph Goodale said Wednesday the poll shows
Canadians believe that existing marijuana laws don't accomplish their
"public policy objectives."

"The status quo is obviously failed policy," said Goodale, whose party
wants a regulated system to keep pot out of the hands of youths.

"That's clearly recognized by the vast majority of Canadians. They
come to some different conclusions about what exactly to do about it,
but clearly they want change."

Mary Ann Dewey-Plante, a spokesperson for MacKay, responded to the
poll by saying that Trudeau will "fully legalize recreational
marijuana, which would make it easier for kids to buy and smoke in
their neighbourhoods, like cigarettes today."

She said the Liberals want to make smoking pot "a normal, everyday
activity for Canadians. We, on the other hand, want to protect
children and teens from the harmful effects of smoking pot on their
health and development."

She reiterated that the government is considering a proposal by the
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to allow police to lay fines
against those caught with small amounts of marijuana.

The political debate over marijuana legalization in Canada sharpened
this week, following a New York Times editorial that called for the
U.S. federal government to repeal its 44-year ban on pot.

The influential newspaper, which says the question of legalization
should be left up to individual U.S. states, is running a six-day
series on the issue, and has reignited a hot debate among Americans.

It concluded that the ban has inflicted "great harm on society just to
prohibit a substance far less dangerous than alcohol."

The editorial comes as some U.S. states reform pot laws. Marijuana for
recreational use went on sale in Colorado Jan. 1 and Washington
followed suit this month. Oregon and Alaska will vote on the matter in
November.

The survey of 3,000 adult Canadians was conducted between January 30
to February 7, 2014 and has a margin of error of 1.8 percentage points.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D