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Canada moves to decriminalize marijuana
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| JohnSmith |
http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/200...juana_law030527
An excerpt:
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If his cannabis reform bill passes, adults caught with less than 15 grams of cannibis will be given a ticket and face a fine of as much as $400.
Young people will be fines as much as $250. Fines will be higher for possession of hashish.
But the same bill includes tougher penalties for illegally growing and trafficking pot. Sentences will double for those offences.
Ottawa will also give millions to drug education and drug treatment programs.
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i forsee several things resulting from this. first off, a lot of sabre rattling from the oppressive DEA from the US. happily it will be ignored by Canada.
I also forsee the price of marijuana in canada jumping. there is now more risk for the dealers, double the penalty, so to make it worth their while, they will probably increase the price, maybe even double it. conversely, with only a fine to fear from being caught with 15grams or less, casual users will be much less careful, which in turn could lead to dealers getting caught.
i also forsee decreased use of marijuana. price goes up, use goes down, it's that simple. also, with the "millions" in drug education (we will see, i doubt it with the way the Canadian govt has been handing out money lately) more people will realize that marijuana, while fun every once in a while, is a very addictive drug, that can ruin your life.
What do you think will be the results if this legislation is passed. |
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| TranceGiant |
| quote: | Originally posted by JohnSmith
What do you think will be the results if this legislation is passed. |
My moving to Canada?:p |
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| occrider |
Or maybe you'll see more 15g traffickers on the rise :)
Anyway I think it's a good idea. I'm not sure what they're trying to achieve though ... if they want less people to use it why not simply keep it criminal and raise the penalty for trafficking or growing? Either criminalize it or legalize it if you ask me.
But what's so bad about the DEA? They don't make the laws they just enforce them. And the only people they oppress are drug users and traffickers so more power to them. |
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| JohnSmith |
first off, i think that a 15g trafficker would face the same penalty as a 15lb trafficker. trafficking is trafficking.
second, don't even get me started on the DEA and the war on drugs, maybe i will take you up on a discussion later, but i'm at work and don't have the time right now to research and back it up. But, for now, my personal opinion is that they are oppressors.
marijuana use would not be stopped by illegality, you only need to check out any park in my town to know that. |
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| Eugene |
Your post is misleading, nothing is being "decriminalized" because if they have to pay a fine then they're still being penalized for a certain crime.
I will post more later today |
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| occrider |
| quote: | Originally posted by JohnSmith
first off, i think that a 15g trafficker would face the same penalty as a 15lb trafficker. trafficking is trafficking.
second, don't even get me started on the DEA and the war on drugs, maybe i will take you up on a discussion later, but i'm at work and don't have the time right now to research and back it up. But, for now, my personal opinion is that they are oppressors.
marijuana use would not be stopped by illegality, you only need to check out any park in my town to know that. |
Yes well couldn't a 15g trafficker simply say that it is for his own personal use? But anyway start up a new thread on the DEA whenever you get the chance to ... I'm curious to see what beef you have with them.
My point wasn't that making it illegal would stop its use. I actually think it should be legalized. I'm just confused by what the intent is. If they're thinking that the penalty for marijuana use is unnecessarily high then I understand. However, if they wish less people to use it, why lessen the penalty to a fine? |
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| Eugene |
| JohnSmith's problem is that he still can't make up his mind on the fundamental question of whether marijuana use is a crime, or not a crime. I don't blame him, it's a difficult question that many people are grappling with. |
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| JohnSmith |
huh? i can decide. it is a crime. currently under canadian and american law that is.
morally, i believe there is nothing wrong with it. I used to smoke it, and now i don't, but i think other people should be able to.
| quote: | | Your post is misleading, nothing is being "decriminalized" because if they have to pay a fine then they're still being penalized for a certain crime. |
i don't think you understand the difference between decriminalzation and legalization. they are moving to decriminlaze which would mean it's still against the law, but you would only get a fine for it, like a speeding ticket. it would not go on your record, and you would not go to jail for it.
I support decriminalzation, and legalization (although i doubt the latter is likely to happen) |
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| JohnSmith |
| quote: | Originally posted by occrider
Yes well couldn't a 15g trafficker simply say that it is for his own personal use? |
not if he was caught selling it! |
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| Eugene |
| quote: | Originally posted by JohnSmith
huh? i can decide. it is a crime. currently under canadian and american law that is.
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I don't care what it is under current law.
My question was whether you think that it should a crime or not.
So what's your answer?
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I support decriminalzation, and legalization
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So if you support legalization, then you'd be selling it to anyone over 18 who wants it, just like alcohol and tobacco; in other words nobody would control how much you can consume (just like nobody tells me how many cigarettes I can smoke, or how much I can drink).
Fine. Then explain this to me: Why is it that even the most liberal of countries - Holland - restricts you to only a certain amount of marijuana (say 5 mg) that you can consume without penalizing you?
Let's see:
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Nobody regulates how often I smoke in a bar. --> NOT A CRIME
Nobody regulates how much I drink in a bar. --> NOT A CRIME
Somebody regulates that I can't go beyond a certain amount with marijuana in a Dutch coffee shop. --> CRIME |
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| occrider |
| quote: | Originally posted by JohnSmith
not if he was caught selling it! |
True enough ... eh somebody else's use of marijuana is not going to affect me in any way so maybe it's a good law. Legalize it, let tobacco companies produce it, let the smokers smoke it, 20 years into the future let the chronic smokers who have lung cancer sue the tobacco companies for letting them smoke it :). Ah yes ... the cycle of our litigious society.
On a more serious note however, I read some article on how an insane amount of money is spent on health care to hospitalize victims of smoke related diseases. In that case we ARE affected by another person's choice in choosing to smoke (beyond secondhand smoke). So should smokers be forced to pay more for health care? Or should there be an increased 'health' tax on cigarrettes? |
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| JohnSmith |
| quote: | Originally posted by Eugene
I don't care what it is under current law.
My question was whether you think that it should a crime or not.
So what's your answer?
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that was not your question. you insuated that i couldn't make up my mind "whether marijuana use is a crime, or not a crime."
it is.
but now, to be clear, i will answer your second question (which i already did) do i think it should be?
no.
| quote: | Originally posted by Eugene
So if you support legalization, then you'd be selling it to anyone over 18 who wants it, just like alcohol and tobacco; in other words nobody would control how much you can consume (just like nobody tells me how many cigarettes I can smoke, or how much I can drink).
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correct.
| quote: | Originally posted by Eugene
Fine. Then explain this to me: Why is it that even the most liberal of countries - Holland - restricts you to only a certain amount of marijuana (say 5 mg) that you can consume without penalizing you?
Let's see:
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Nobody regulates how often I smoke in a bar. --> NOT A CRIME
Nobody regulates how much I drink in a bar. --> NOT A CRIME
Somebody regulates that I can't go beyond a certain amount with marijuana in a Dutch coffee shop. --> CRIME |
why does holland do this? i don't know, i don't live there.
But, we aren't talking about holland here anyway, and I'm not familiar with the laws there(maybe you can enlighten me). but i know that 5mg is not very much pot in any case.
Also, you are regulated to how much you can drink in a bar, the bartender is supposed to cut you off. Granted, it's not a specific thing, like 10 beers and your out, nor should it be.
Basically what it comes down to, is marijuana is currently illegal, and a criminal act. in canada, it will soon merely be illegal.
My thoughts on it's use are irrelevant. |
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