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93 percent of Canadians do not believe possesion of cannabis should warrant a criminal record
By Hempology | July 23, 2007
The Fort Saskatchewan Record, CN AB
20 Jul 2007
Andrew Thomson
MARIJUANA LAWS BEYOND RIDICULOUS
Fairly Unbalanced
In 2003 I wrote a column arguing in favour of legalizing marijuana.
Since I may never have another chance to do this, I’m writing now to tell you I was wrong. So wrong in fact I’m ashamed to have ever written it.
In that column I tried to argue that marijuana wasn’t that bad for you, wasn’t any worse than alcohol or cigarettes, and tried to back up my opinions with facts and logic. That was an obvious and idiotic mistake.
The issue has nothing to do with whether marijuana is bad for you. The issue was and is do you deserve a criminal record or even jail time simply for lighting a joint?
The answer is of course you don’t . Criminal records are for criminals. Rapists, murderers, child molesters, even drunk drivers and petty vandals are criminals. Pot smokers are not.
That’s the issue, not whether marijuana is bad for you. Cigarettes, alcohol, gambling, fatty foods, reality television, and unprotected sex with an endless parade of random strangers are bad for you. Yet none of things are illegal and anyone who so much as suggested they should be would immediately and rightly be dismissed as a puritanical fascist.
The Liberals proposed decriminalization ( meaning a conviction for possession would no longer get you a criminal record ) of marijuana when they were in power. But, like a lot of things, they never actually got around to doing it. Canada’s New Government won’t even consider this timid half-measure. In fact marijuana arrests are up since they came to power.
But come on, decriminalization is a radical measure being pushed on society by a bunch of hippies and anarchists right? At least that’s what opponents would like you to believe.
A 2004 SES poll asked Canadians flat out if simple possession should net you a criminal record, 93 per cent said no. More over 57 per cent said marijuana should be legal and regulated like alcohol. Kind of shows you who the radicals are.
Surveys also say at least a third, probably closer to half, of all Canadians have used marijuana at some point in their lives. That means at least one in every three people you know is a criminal under Canadian Law including your friends, neighbours, parents and children.
Marijuana laws aren’t just wrong they’re beyond ridiculous and nearly everybody knows it. Everybody except our government apparently.
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