Vancouver (January 18, 2013) – The Liberal Party of Canada (BC) today released a draft policy paper on the legalization of marijuana that will be presented at this weekend’s provincial policy conference in Surrey.
The paper has been prepared in partnership with the Young Liberals of Canada since federal delegates from across the country voted one year ago this week at the Party’s Biennial Policy Convention in favour of a policy resolution to:
- legalize marijuana, regulate and tax its production, distribution and use
- invest in prevention and education programs to promote awareness of the health risks and consequences of marijuana use and dependency – especially amongst youth
- extend amnesty to Canadians convicted of simple and minimal marijuana possession
- work with provinces and municipalities on a coordinated regulatory approach
In addition to capturing progress over the past year, the LPC-BC paper (https://bc.liberal.ca/files/2013/01/DRAFT-Marijuana-Policy-Paper-Jan-13.pdf) answers a list of legitimate questions Canadians have regarding the impact of implementing this policy. Some are answered in one sentence. Others are more complex and require ongoing dialogue. 36 questions are been identified in five categories:
- Policy
- International Response
- Legal
- Public Health
- Logistics
Emerging from the answers to these questions is the foundation for a new legal framework that responds to the approved resolution and includes specific recommendations for discussion.
They should just put a sales tax on the seeds and allow people to grow and sell them for distribution with a licence. They could set an age for purchasing the seeds. Require stores that desire to sell the seeds to request permission from the city. Allow anyone to grow a certain amount of plants inside of a residence, I imagine it would be difficult for a 15 year old to grow any amount of plants while living at home. Removing all criminal penalties from growing a plant in the house is also a huge benefit because it gives more power to parents to decide what is acceptable for their children.
People need to be allowed to grow an amount in their own living space, doing so would allow the lower income marijuana users to avoid paying high taxes and this could help them to save their money.
The Liberal Party needs to stand up for individual liberty. The Party will always have its longtime supporters. The youth tend to be pro liberty. A center right approach would very likely draw in many of the old progressive conservative voters and those in the libertarian branch. Respecting peoples liberties will also help to take the youth (who are increasingly more pro NDP) away from the NDP.
Respecting the rights of the individual provinces would score huge in Quebec and the West. Perhaps when it is legalized allow the provinces or even municpalities to have some say in how they themselves distribute.
Electoral Reform is crucial, we really do need proportional representation. Immigration Reform is needed aswell and the provinces should be given more power when it comes to immigration.
Re: Impaired driving & marijuana.
The Olympic Committee accused Ross Rebagliati with using a performance enhancing drug when they detected marijuana in his system, which seems to be a contradiction.
Are you impaired or is your performance enhanced while under the influence?
just asking….
Marijuana laws
If marijuana had been legal in Canada (BC) and the police forces in BC didn’t need to waste so much of their time on marijuana related laws, perhaps, just maybe they could have caught Robert Pickton (BC serial killer that murdered nearly 50 women in BC) that much sooner. The time and money lost and wasted in, court, policing, and prison in the pursuit of marijuana prohibition is insane. There is no longer any reasonable or logical argument to continue along this path of prohibition. Large money would be available to government in regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol, making marijuana safer and much harder for those under 19 to get their hands on. (Not to mention taking that much or more money away from the gangs, criminals and organized crime across the country, also making Canada that much safer). Those that still want to continue down this road of prohibition are truly dinosaurs and Canadians need to exterminate them, we can no longer wait for them to become extinct. Leaders like Steven Harpers and his new laws will only further to cause our country, more full courts, more full prisons and more unnecessary financial hardship. We cannot afford any more leaders that continue to take this old and unwarranted stance. Marijuana users are not social problem people and marijuana medical benefits are many and well documented. Now is the time to talk to your family, friends and neighbors and help end this prohibition of marijuana for good.
Please copy this letter and pass it on.
I think Justin hasn’t made his mind up on much, yet, but he said decriminalization, which is not the solution nor the party policy.
The liberal policy is regulation.
establish zero-tolerance on import/export
Do not agree with this one either….how will we get better quality with out cross breeding strains from other counties like Netherlands and Israel .This whole plan sounds like another way to control us. What quality we can get, where we can get it and who will profit the most. Once people start really seeing your plan they will not support it.
Do not agree with your 1st point.
(LEGALIZE marijuana and ensure the regulation and taxation of its production,
distribution, and use, while enacting strict penalties for illegal trafficking, illegal
importation and exportation, and impaired driving)
Why if it is legal can’t anyone grow their own? Just set an age of 19. Also to this day there is no test for impaired driving after smoking Marijuana, not to mention the fact that Marijuana stays in your system for several days.
This, finally, is the right move. We’ve been waiting all these decades since the LeDain Commission and over a decade since the Senate Report.
I would suggest the MMPR framework might serve to create the basis of a legal environment, provided new legal “CPR” (Cannabis Production Regulations) allows citizens to grow and store their own supply ~ much as beer & wine making is allowed.
Those with the greatest knowledge and experience are already working in the industry. It is also important to enable those with this expertise to work in a legal environment ie: including cultivators who may have received a criminal record for growing the herb. Correspondingly, criminal records should be expunged for all cannabis offenses unless a known criminal organization is involved.
I sincerely hope that this progress is indeed real and substantial. Every year millions of Canadians are subjected to prohibitionist policies, practices and propaganda; not to mention the tens of thousands of citizens subjected to arrest, prosecution and incarceration. It is time to end this travesty.
~ Reverend Ryan
Great work everyone! Which leadership candidates support BC’s resolution?
Joyce Murray does.
I believe David Bertschi, George Takach, and Justin Trudeau do not, as they prefer regulation to legalization. Where do the others stand.