Pubdate: Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Source: North Island Gazette (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.northislandgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2783
Author: Wayne Phillips
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v17/n281/a02.html

THE LIBERAL GOVERNMENT OF 1923 MANUFACTURED A SOCIAL PROBLEM IN A 
SUSPECT MANNER

Dear Editor,

Re: Tyson's Thoughts: Legalize it already, Aug 24th

Tyson asks, "First outlawed in Canada in 1923, 14 years before the US
ever made the drug illegal, the history books seemingly don't have any
recorded parliamentary debate regarding why it was even made illegal
in the first place. Bizarre. There were also no recorded police
seizures of marijuana in Canada until 1932. Even more bizarre. Which
begs the question, why was it made illegal in the first place before
it was ever deemed a "social problem"?"

It was under Liberal William Lyon Mackenzie King's stewardship that
Dr. H. S. Beland simply said "there is a new drug in the schedule"
then altered the bill to say, "cannabis indica". The Senate read it
and passed it, but the bill never received Royal Assent, it was then
added to the restricted list of the Opium and Narcotic Drug Act of
1923. In effect, the Liberal government of 1923 manufactured a social
problem in a suspect manner. There is every likelihood that when Great
Britain criminalized cannabis in 1928 cannabis indica would have been
added to the restricted list anyway.

Wayne Phillips
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MAP posted-by: Matt