Check this out. Liberal Convention 2012: Federal Grits Vote To Legalize Marijuana The Liberal Party of Canada has voted to legalize pot. Seventy-seven per cent of delegates at the Liberals' biennial convention told their party's leadership Sunday morning that they want a future Liberal government to legalize marijuana. Their interim leader Bob Rae acknowledged the war on drugs hasn't worked, but told reporters the party's caucus would have to study the implications of the resolution. "Frankly, the status quo doesn't work and that's what needs to change,†Rae said. “The Liberal party is saying that the current laws do not work and that we need a new direction.†“It's now up to us to take that resolution and see exactly what it will mean in terms of policy, because there are some practical questions that we have to look at,†Rae added, noting in French that one such issue would be how to control the supply of legalized pot. Rae insisted he was at ease defending the principles of the resolution and that he would work with the membership on the issue in the months and years ahead as the party drafts its next election platform. “I accept that it is the will of the party that was expressed and as leader we will continue to work together,†Rae said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO During a debate on the floor of the Ottawa convention hall, one Liberal delegate, a police officer, told the crowd Canada's drug policy was misguided. “This country does not need more prisons, it needs less criminals,†he said. The resolution, which was brought forward by the party's youth wing, calls upon a Liberal federal government to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana production, distribution and use while enacting “strict penalties for illegal trafficking, illegal importation and exportation, and impaired driving.†The resolution also calls for significant investments in prevention and education programs on the harms of marijuana and amnesty for Canadians convicted of simple possession in the past. Samuel Lavoie, the president of the Young Liberals of Canada, said he wasn't sure the resolution would make it into the Liberal party's next election platform, but that he hoped it would not be ignored. “I think everyone in the party, not only the interim leader (Rae), but everyone in the party, recognizes that there were 3,000 Liberals here this weekend and that this is a motion which, however controversial, passed with more than 75% of support, so I think it would be difficult for anyone to just ignore the result and the will of the membership,†he said. Liberals should stop being scared of any soft on crime label the Conservative party might give them, Lavoie added. “The Conservative staffers in the Prime Minister's office will never vote for the Liberal party,†Lavoie said. “We are talking to Canadians, the fact is this is a sensible policy, an evidence-based policy that is very easy to defend and polls show that we have a majority of support amongst Canadians. There is a cross-partisan support amongst non-conservative voters for this. So we feel like this is something that will get us votes not lose us votes,†he said. More than 1,400 delegates took part in the vote. If Liberal members re-affirm the motion in two years during another policy process, the Liberal leader will still have the right to veto any part of the election platform under current rules.
I'm moving to canada if it gets legalized. Probably not, actually. But this is a great thing. Soon the rest of America will see that it works out, and we will follow.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to have it legal as much as anyone else, but I'm not sure they should make it a strong point. You can't base your vote off of one matter like that. What if they want to legalize marijuana, but go to war with Kenya(oxymoron, I know. Just an example). I guess what I am trying to say is no one will take them serious if that's their focus point. I think NDP supports legalization as well, they just don't like to advertise it. IMO...
It's basically legal here already Cops don't do anything unless you grow or sell or have alot( which usually means your growing or selling) just don't be obvious an you should be fine! Infact well running away fro police a few weeks ago he yelled "go smoke weed in a fucking forest"
If it became legal in Canada would someone like me be able to make the 3 hour trip from Illinois to Canada and buy some then come back or would it be restricted to Canadian residents?
You could probably use it in Canada. But they even said trafficking would have harsher penalties. Either way, I'm sure US or the new Canadian laws would suck being caught trafficking under.
^ agreed. Marijuana could, key word, become legal, in Canada. The US would still consider it an offence. Here's a backward example. Guy in the US has a class 2 weapons liscence, making it legal for him to own automatic weapons, they're legal, in the US. same guy tries to move to Canada, he has to give up his guns, he tries to bring them anyways, he gets charged with weapons trafficking. Made simple, come to Canada, toke, sober up, drive home. Just like 19 year olds coming to Canada to drink on the weekend. Legal in Canada, nothing the US can do.
Actually in Alberta the drinking age is 18 lol. But alberta is the Texas of canada, the cops are nice and polite, but the second they suspect your doing something illegal or they know your doing something like smoking a joint, they turn into total power tripping pricks like any other cops, not that all cops are pricks but alberta is a very conservative province (mostly cuz everyone in the oilfields is afraid they will get laid off if they vote anything else). I got charged for 1.1 grams in stem, my buddy got charged for .2 in burnt up pipe residue and my other buddy got off with the least punishment had 1.8 in bud lol. I didnt get a record thank god, just ended up having to do community service which i did at this Ranch type thing near the edge of town and i just got baked and shoveled horse shit and the guy at the place ended up just signing 12 of the 20 hours i was suppose to do so i only actually really worked like 8 or 10 hours haha and when he asked me why i had to do community service i told him i got caught with possession of marijuana and this old cowboy dude was like "oh i thought they legalized that stuff already" haha he didnt even blaze and he knew it wasnt bad.
NDP is for decriminalizing. Not legalizing. You cant base your vote of one matter? This is the Liberal Party of Canada, not the British Columbia Marijuana Party. This is a highly respected and voted for party, they are not basing their platform on 1 issue. This is just 1 issue that they have decided to finally do something about. This a huge step for Canadians everywhere, I see people posting everywhere saying "The government always does this to get our hopes up, make us think their legalizing pot and then nothing happens". This is not the government saying they are going to legalize it. This is a respected political party that has realized what an uder waste of time, resources, and money the drug war is. This is the only battle that we have won in this war.
Actually before Jack Layton died, the former leader of the NDP, said he was for legalization. Also this is a publicity stunt by the liberal party to regain their youth voters, the Liberal party tried to legalize in like 2004 or something i cant remember the exact year, so its nothing new. I also vote on more then one issue and the liberals still favor big business too much, hence why i will vote NDP, yeah there are things about the NDP i disagree with, but they are the only party who wants a atleast some serious change to this obviously failing system in regards to more then one issue. I will continue to support the NDP over liberals.
Can any Canadians weigh on if this means anything? Is this a major party or a fringe party like the Green party in the US that has very little influence?
They were the previous opposition to the Conservative minority and they were in power before that, but now they only have like 38 seats or something and the NDP are now the opposition to the conservative majority. NDP is slightly leftist, Liberal is middle right, and conservatives are right winged assholes.