Sask Ndp Formally Backs Legal Pot

SASK NDP FORMALLY BACKS LEGAL POT


On Saturday, November 18, the Saskatchewan NDP passed a resolution at their convention, showing their support for "non-punitive" marijuana policies, and pledging to work to implement such policies provincially.

The resolution was passed almost unanimously, with only two or three votes against out of 700 delegates.

Two people spoke in favour of the resolution. The first was Benn Greer, the President of eNDProhibition Saskatchewan, and the second was a former police officer, who mentioned LEAP and other police officers who have called for decriminalizing marijuana and other drugs. (Sadly I don't have his name available.) No-one spoke against the resolution.

This is the actual wording of the resolution which was passed:

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Saskatchewan NDP support the federal NDP's call for a non-punitive approach to cannabis law, including elimination of all penalties for personal cultivation and possession by adults, and actively work to institute non-punitive cannabis policies at the provincial level.

A similar resolution was passed by the BC NDP in February 2006.

By passing this resolution, the Saskatchewan NDP are the first and only elected government in North America with a formal party policy supporting no penalties for personal cultivation and use of marijuana.

I am ecstatic to see this resolution pass!

We had also been sponsoring another resolution calling for support of the Supervised-Injection Site program and backing creation of such sites in any Saskatchewan communities that want and need one. This resolution was passed during the preliminary sessions, but time ran out before it made it to the main floor for final debate and vote. So this resolution will go before the SK NDP Provincial Council in a few months and I expect it will pass there.


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Dana Larsen
End Prohibition: www.eNDProhibition.ca
Vancouver Seed Bank: www.VancouverSeedBank.ca