Pubdate: Thu, 30 Mar 2017
Source: Langley Advance (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.langleyadvance.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1248
Author: Roxanne Hooper

MPS DIVIDED ON POT LEGISLATION

Liberals versus Conservatives: Just like the divide that exists between 
these two federal political parties, so too does the crevasse between 
Langley MPs John Aldag and Mark Warawa, and their personal views on 
legalization of marijuana in Canada.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal
government will be introducing legislation in the next few weeks that
will legalize marijuana by Canada Day 2018. And while the federal
government will change this law with almost unprecedented speed, it
will be left up to the provinces/territories and municipalities to
work out logistics of how it will be grown and distributed.

Aldag is the Cloverdale-Langley City Liberal MP, and he's "anxious" to
see such a law move forward.

"I'm frankly very excited," he told the Langley Advance. "It's the
right move for the country."

He's convinced it will make it safer, especially for Canada's young
people, who he said register the highest pot consumption out of any
countries in the Western World.

He believes taking control of growing and distributing marijuana will
better keep it out of the hands of under-aged youth, and govern what
it contains.

The 53-year-old former Parks Canada employee, who smells pot farm
exhaust when walking his dog at night, said all too often he's told
nightmare stories of marijuana being mixed with other illicit drugs.
By governing the sale, buyers will better know exactly what they're
consuming.

Another bonus, Aldag said: "It will take billions of dollars out of
the hands of organized crime in our country."

Aldag said he doesn't expect there will be similar access to marijuana
across the country, and determining how that will look in each
province, territory, city and village will also be a significant
undertaking.

He agrees it is an "ambitious agenda" having the law in place by July
1, 2018, but Aldag feels it is doable, and hopes to discuss the issue
with both Langley Township and Langley City councils as well as his
provincial counterparts in the next few weeks.

Warawa, who is the Conservative MP for Langley-Aldergrove, is appalled
by both the move to legalize marijuana, and the speed with which the
Liberals are trying to "force it" through the Senate and the House of
Commons.

That process, he said, typically takes at least a couple years and
said Trudeau's "strong arm" tactics to push it through faster are
simply politically motivated since it was one of his campaign promises.

Contrary to Aldag, the 66-year-old Warawa fears this will put larger
quantities of the drug in the hands of young people. And he claims
that numerous discussions with addicts, law enforcement, and other
experts support his belief that marijuana serves as a gateway drug to
other deadly substances.

He's convinced nothing good can come from legalizing it, for the
recreational users, those who use it for medical purposes, or society
as a whole.

"If this is not handled very carefully," Warawa said, "it could ruin a
lot of lives."
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MAP posted-by: Matt