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Ottawa - Canadians are confused about what the federal government means when it talks about the decriminalization of pot, a new poll shows. The poll of 1,000 Canadians was done by the polling firm SES for Tory MP Randy White.
The survey was done from Jan. 28-Feb. 2 and is accurate to plus or minus 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
White said he was surprised by the confusion. "The government is doing a very poor job. If they are moving into decriminalization of marijuana, then they should spend hundreds of dollars on television, on radio and in newspapers, explaining this to Canadians," White said.
The survey asked: "The Canadian government has recently moved to decriminalize the personal possession of marijuana. Do you believe that decriminalization ( a ) makes possession legal, ( b ) leaves possession illegal, © unsure, ( d ) no answer.
"One out of every two, or 49% of Canadians believe that decriminalizing marijuana actually makes possession legal," SES president Nik Nanos said the poll indicates.
Of those surveyed, 41% said they believed decriminalization leaves possession illegal. With decriminalization, marijuana possession would be illegal but not a criminal offence, much like, for example, speeding.
The second survey question asked what the minimum age to possess marijuana should be: 12 years and older; 16 and older; 18 and over; no age; or "unsure." Respondents chose 18 and more than 77.6% of the time.
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: mailbag@edm.sunpub.com
Website: Canoe.Com
The survey was done from Jan. 28-Feb. 2 and is accurate to plus or minus 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
White said he was surprised by the confusion. "The government is doing a very poor job. If they are moving into decriminalization of marijuana, then they should spend hundreds of dollars on television, on radio and in newspapers, explaining this to Canadians," White said.
The survey asked: "The Canadian government has recently moved to decriminalize the personal possession of marijuana. Do you believe that decriminalization ( a ) makes possession legal, ( b ) leaves possession illegal, © unsure, ( d ) no answer.
"One out of every two, or 49% of Canadians believe that decriminalizing marijuana actually makes possession legal," SES president Nik Nanos said the poll indicates.
Of those surveyed, 41% said they believed decriminalization leaves possession illegal. With decriminalization, marijuana possession would be illegal but not a criminal offence, much like, for example, speeding.
The second survey question asked what the minimum age to possess marijuana should be: 12 years and older; 16 and older; 18 and over; no age; or "unsure." Respondents chose 18 and more than 77.6% of the time.
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: mailbag@edm.sunpub.com
Website: Canoe.Com
