Ottawa Sun

Ottawa & Region Ontario

SAM Canada says no to legal pot
Julienne Bay
Yesterday at 7:43 PM

The current push to legalize marijuana is wrong-headed and dangerous, says a Canadian group that calls it a "human rights issue."
SAM Canada, the Canadian chapter of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, is looking to push back on the pro-marijuana crowd, founder Pamela McColl told the Sun.
McColl said the legalization, currently in talks, would be normalizing the use of marijuana instead of "dampening" its consumption.
"We consider it to be a public health risk, especially to children ... This is a human rights issue."
She added there hasn't been enough conversation between Canadians on marijuana use. It would have negative effects on productivity, educational system and health, McColl added.
SAM Canada wants to reduce interest and demand by educating the public on harms and risks, McColl said.
McColl said the scientific evidence hasn't been assessed enough in the marijuana debate, and argued that calling marijuana "safe" is a "propaganda."
"Canadians just don't have the information to make the adult-informed decision ...how it impacts driving, pregnancy ... depression."
McColl also said medical marijuana remains an "experimental drug."
"I don't believe in using humans for experimental drugs," she said.
When asked about tobacco and alcohol, McColl said tobacco should have been discussed during the election campaign.
The support for legalizing pot is similar to people's attitude towards tobacco in the past, before they realized it was harmful, McColl said.
"Look where tobacco has taken us ... That's still legal in Canada," she said.
"Marijuana is not a soft drug."
SAM Canada is currently planning on delivering books filled with marijuana info to Parliament.
julienne.bay@sunmedia.ca
Decisions, decisions
In deciding how best to legalize marijuana use, Canadian lawmakers could choose from several exisiting models:
The Colorado Model
The so-called “Green Rush” into American districts that have legalized recreational marijuana has seen massive commercialization of cannabis. Tax revenues are plentiful, but so are the concerns, especially when it comes to edible forms of the drug, which come in all forms — from candy to chocolate bars to THC-infused soda.
Opponents often cite the aggressive marketing of edibles, and the health risks involved if children accidentally consume them.
Proponents, including the Drug Policy Alliance, cite a decrease in Colorado’s violent crime, burglaries and property crime, and say that traffic fatalities actually decreased over the first year of legal marijuana in 2014. The state reaped more than $40 million in tax revenue that year, with a significant portion earmarked for youth prevention, mental health and community-based programs.
The B.C. model
Pot dispensaries are commonplace in the “wild west,” where Canada’s Prince of Pot, Marc Emery, is one of the most outspoken champions of the free market marijuana trade. Customers are supposed to have a Health Canada-approved licence to purchase pot, but the rule is rarely enforced. But while police tend to turn a blind eye, there have been several recent busts, including one chain of dispensaries believed to be linked to the Hells Angels.
Opponents decry the abundance of dispensaries — estimates have about 100 such shops in Vancouver alone — and the link to organized crime.
Proponents say the government is missing out on an opportunity to divert those dollars from criminal organizations and into public coffers.
The LCBO model
The approach most oft-cited by proponents as the ideal model for marijuana distribution: treat it the same as alcohol. Shops can only sell cannabis products from a regulated producer — with government oversight on quality and THC content already in place thanks to a decade of experience with medicinal marijuana — and a strict age limit, including stiff penalties for those found in violation.
A portion of proceeds would also be devoted to awareness campaigns — similar to alcohol — on the dangers of impaired driving, health impacts and the effects of cannabis on the developing brain.
Like alcohol and tobacco, consumption of cannabis would likely be severely restricted in public places.

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/10/24/sam-canada-says-no-to-legal-pot/

So...

The potheads wanna smoke a few bowls, and "talk" about it.

No irony there.
Nope!
None at all.

From the Liberal Party of Canada

(for you Non Canadians .... that would be the cute guy that won the election. )




We will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana.

Canada’s current system of marijuana prohibition does not work. It does not prevent young people from using marijuana and too many Canadians end up with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug.

Arresting and prosecuting these offenses is expensive for our criminal justice system. It traps too many Canadians in the criminal justice system for minor, non-violent offenses. At the same time, the proceeds from the illegal drug trade support organized crime and greater threats to public safety, like human trafficking and hard drugs.

To ensure that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children, and the profits out of the hands of criminals, we will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana.

We will remove marijuana consumption and incidental possession from the Criminal Code, and create new, stronger laws to punish more severely those who provide it to minors, those who operate a motor vehicle while under its influence, and those who sell it outside of the new regulatory framework.

We will create a federal/provincial/territorial task force, and with input from experts in public health, substance abuse, and law enforcement, will design a new system of strict marijuana sales and distribution, with appropriate federal and provincial excise taxes applied.


http://www.liberal.ca/realchange/marijuana/

Legalization of Marijuana –Policy Paper 2013

BE IT RESOLVED
that a new Liberal government will:
...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;
...invest significant resources in prevention and education programs designed to promote awareness of the health risks and consequences of marijuana use and dependency, especially amongst youth;
...extend amnesty to all Canadians previously convicted of simple and minimal marijuana possession, and ensure the elimination of all criminal records related thereto
...work with governments of Canada on a coordinated regulatory approach to marijuana which maintains significant federal responsibility for marijuana control while respecting
provincial health jurisdiction and particular regional concerns and practices.

.................................

PM Elect Justin Trudeau has stated that will happen ... be it a month, a year or 3 years. But it will happen within his mandate.

Oh Joy,Canada elected it's Very Own Obama!

Harper was our version of Obama. We got smart and kicked his sorry azz out. Took 10 years but he out.


You want Harper?

Dear Canadians,

Don't be like us.
And I mean that in the most protective, caretaking way.

* Going now, to do something maternal now, like cook breakfast. & tell people under 30 what to do. Jk *

Sincerely,
SassyEuro2

Post script

Call your mothers

you'll find out in due time!
Can sell you a Machine!



you guys might want to use it ,about 3years into his term!