What would the legalization of marijuana look like in Canada?
It was a question the Barrie-Innisfil federal Liberal riding association tackled during a town hall meeting Sunday.
Association president Adam English told about 50 people – some of them medical and recreational marijuana users – the Liberal party wants to hear what voters think of its pledge to legalize marijuana if elected to govern next year.
"It would be a controlled effort so it is not so easily accessible to teens and it would cut out organized crime," English said. "It is so much easier in our current system to access marijuana when it is illegal."
Canada has one of the highest rates of marijuana use in the world, with about 28 per cent of teens having tried marijuana, English said.
Three panel members – a retired police officer, a recreational user and a medical marijuana advocate – led the debate.
Fleur Ottaway, who supports recreational use, said the benefits of ending the prohibition of marijuana include restricting its use to adults and creating a $1 billion industry, which can fund healthcare and education through taxation.
"It should be done with an LCBO-type system so it is heavily controlled," Ottaway said.
Paul Bailey, a former York Region police officer, supports decriminalization but not legalization.
Bailey said he fears legalization would create more mental health and addiction issues, especially among youth. Decriminalizing it would end criminal records for those caught with small amounts and save the justice system money.
"I don't think a 19-year-old person with a good life ahead should be stigmatized with a criminal record," Bailey said.
Micheline Robichaud supports legalization to make cannibas more easily accessible to those who use it for medical reasons. Robichaud would like it legalized in oil form, as it is in other jurisdictions, so her 13-year-old son could use it to control seizures. But getting a dependable supply is difficult under the current system set up by the federal Conservative government, she said.
"Society is not going to fall apart. It's not going to be people running down the streets and smoking joints," Robichaud said. "The more people learn about this, the more people are going to say, 'What are we really afraid of?"
Last month, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau welcomed the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's recommendation to legalize marijuana with strict regulations.
Dr. Jürgen Rehm, director of the Social and Epidemiological Research Department at the centre, says the current policy has failed to prevent or reduce the harms associated with cannabis use.
Several speakers at Sunday's meeting said legalization would allow more education on its effects and would encourage MADD-style campaigns to reduce driving under the influence of marijuana.
"Legalization is coming. We have to manage it," an audience member said. "We don't want the wild west. We want to minimize any harm. Many people are using this for physical and emotional pain management. The government in this country wants to throw you in jail and cause confusion."
News Moderator: Shandar @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Your Simcoe County online newspaper | Today's stories from newspapers in Simcoe County
Author: Rick Vanderlinde
Contact: Simcoe : Contact Us
Website: Barrie-Innisfil Liberals debate legalizing marijuana in town hall meeting
It was a question the Barrie-Innisfil federal Liberal riding association tackled during a town hall meeting Sunday.
Association president Adam English told about 50 people – some of them medical and recreational marijuana users – the Liberal party wants to hear what voters think of its pledge to legalize marijuana if elected to govern next year.
"It would be a controlled effort so it is not so easily accessible to teens and it would cut out organized crime," English said. "It is so much easier in our current system to access marijuana when it is illegal."
Canada has one of the highest rates of marijuana use in the world, with about 28 per cent of teens having tried marijuana, English said.
Three panel members – a retired police officer, a recreational user and a medical marijuana advocate – led the debate.
Fleur Ottaway, who supports recreational use, said the benefits of ending the prohibition of marijuana include restricting its use to adults and creating a $1 billion industry, which can fund healthcare and education through taxation.
"It should be done with an LCBO-type system so it is heavily controlled," Ottaway said.
Paul Bailey, a former York Region police officer, supports decriminalization but not legalization.
Bailey said he fears legalization would create more mental health and addiction issues, especially among youth. Decriminalizing it would end criminal records for those caught with small amounts and save the justice system money.
"I don't think a 19-year-old person with a good life ahead should be stigmatized with a criminal record," Bailey said.
Micheline Robichaud supports legalization to make cannibas more easily accessible to those who use it for medical reasons. Robichaud would like it legalized in oil form, as it is in other jurisdictions, so her 13-year-old son could use it to control seizures. But getting a dependable supply is difficult under the current system set up by the federal Conservative government, she said.
"Society is not going to fall apart. It's not going to be people running down the streets and smoking joints," Robichaud said. "The more people learn about this, the more people are going to say, 'What are we really afraid of?"
Last month, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau welcomed the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's recommendation to legalize marijuana with strict regulations.
Dr. Jürgen Rehm, director of the Social and Epidemiological Research Department at the centre, says the current policy has failed to prevent or reduce the harms associated with cannabis use.
Several speakers at Sunday's meeting said legalization would allow more education on its effects and would encourage MADD-style campaigns to reduce driving under the influence of marijuana.
"Legalization is coming. We have to manage it," an audience member said. "We don't want the wild west. We want to minimize any harm. Many people are using this for physical and emotional pain management. The government in this country wants to throw you in jail and cause confusion."
News Moderator: Shandar @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Your Simcoe County online newspaper | Today's stories from newspapers in Simcoe County
Author: Rick Vanderlinde
Contact: Simcoe : Contact Us
Website: Barrie-Innisfil Liberals debate legalizing marijuana in town hall meeting
