Pubdate: Wed, 23 Sep 2015
Source: Kingston Whig-Standard (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Sun Media
Contact: http://www.thewhig.com/letters
Website: http://www.thewhig.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/224
Author: Elliot Ferguson
Page: A1

MARIJUANA DEBATE MAY GET HIGHER PROFILE

Organization Calls for Voters to Back Politicians Whose Parties 
Support Relaxed Marijuana Laws

Next month's federal election could be historic for proponents of 
marijuana legalization.

With the country's three main political parties all taking distinct 
positions, which party forms the next government could determine what 
happens to the nation's marijuana laws.

"This is our election, this is the most important election on this 
topic in recent memory," said Craig Jones, executive director of the 
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Canada.

The organization discarded its traditionally non-partisan stance this 
year and is encouraging people to vote for politicians whose parties 
support relaxed marijuana laws.

The Liberal party wants to legalize marijuana.

The New Democratic Party supports decriminalizing marijuana and then 
studying options for regulating it.

The Conservative party opposes decriminalization or legalization and 
passed harsher sentences, including mandatory minimum sentences, on 
marijuana traffickers.

Medical marijuana user Jennawae McLean, a co-owner of 420 Kingston, 
said this election is different because the leader of a party that 
has a chance to form government is in favour of legalizing marijuana.

McLean said NDP leader Tom Mulcair's decriminalization stance is 
good, too, but added he is "pussyfooting around the real issue."

McLean said the Conservatives are missing an opportunity to tap into 
a new and lucrative tax revenue source.

"Legalizing opens up a whole economy and decriminalizing just doesn't 
get you in trouble for it anymore," she said. "It's not the most 
progressive step and it's definitely not the most fiscally responsible step."

In Colorado, where marijauna was legalized in 2012, a 10% sales tax 
and 15% excise levy on marijuana sales generates tens of millions of 
dollars to fund schools.

"If (the Conservatives) were smart, they would take it up as an 
issue," McLean said. "It's hilarious that they want to say they are 
fiscally conservative but still spend as much money as they do on 
jailing innocent pot users, non-violent drug offenders."

An article in this month's edition of the Canadian Medical 
Association Journal suggested prohibition of non-medical marijuana 
has failed and cannabis could be legalized and regulated in ways 
similar to alcohol and tobacco are governed.

"If Canadian policy-makers decide to create a legal, regulatory 
framework for cannabis, it is critical that public health objectives 
be the foundation of changes," the CMAJ article stated. "Otherwise, 
Canada may experience the same health and social harms that resulted 
from the commercialization of alcohol and tobacco. The Canadian 
public would likely support a model that has public health as its 
primary goal."

Jones said he would like to see regulations preventing aggressive 
marketing of marijuana, especially to young people.

While marijuana remains prohibited by the Controlled Drugs and 
Substances Act, Jones said police departments have adopted a more 
relaxed approach to enforcement and prosecutors in the United States 
have lowered the priority of cannabis charges.

The chances of a major change in Canada's marijuana laws are made 
greater by changes made in the United States, Jones said.

Several states, including Colorado, Alaska, Washington and Oregon, 
and Washington, D.C., have already relaxed their marijuana laws, and 
Jones said he expects a vote on the issue in California in 2016.

A presidential election in the U.S. also creates a political opportunity.

"American politics creates a window of opportunity for Canadian 
politicians to act with some courage," Jones said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom