Since the initial 1923 banning of marijuana in Canada by the Opium and Drug Act, it is my belief that the decriminalize marijuana possession for adults 18 years and older who have less than 14 grams (1/2 ounce) of the drug would best serve the present day Canadian society.

 

Under a compromise, the present marijuana laws would not change for anyone under 18, and the amount that would be decriminalized would be reduced from less than 28 grams (one ounce) to less than 14 grams (1/2 an ounce). The possession of small amounts would no longer be a crime and would instead be an infraction that could be paid like a speeding ticket. The infraction for possession of marijuana greater than 14 grams would come initially with a stiff fine for first time offenders (i.e. $300.00) and be documented by law enforcement for future reference. The documentation by law enforcement officers surrounding the offender would be used in a “graduated response” to invoke, finanancially punitive, approach for repeat offenders who possess the controlled substance. Subsequent increased fines (i.e. $900.00, $1,500.00) and continued documentation would occur until the offender achieved a “third strike” in a financially punitive method of diversion. Once the offender achieved the monetary fine ceiling, every subsequent fine would be repeated at the maximum possible level outlined to the officer from previous documentation of prior offences for possession by the perpetrator.

 

Decriminalization of marijuana possession (under 14 grams / ½ ounce) could save the Canadian taxpayers triple digit millions in law enforcement and judiciary costs annually because far fewer people would be sent to Canadian correctional facilities. Marijuana possession charges to be overseen by prosecutors, judges and probation officials would drop dramatically. If marijuana users were issued a ticket that could be paid by mail, the offender would no longer need to go to court. Court time allocated to marijuana possession charges would also decrease, allowing other criminal cases to flow through the Canadian Justice System at a quickened pace. Remand times in pre-trial facilities would also see a decrease in backlogged time awaiting court proceedings.

 

Continued allowance of “Medical Marijuana” since the Canadian Marijuana Medical Access Regulations went into affect July 31, 2002 allowed for the use of marijuana for medical purposes to relieve physical pain commonly associated with chronically ill patients. There are medicinal properties of marijuana and I agree that chronically ill patients experiencing physical pain should not be denied use of medical marijuana for its’ medicinal properties. Although the Canadian Marijuana Medical Access Regulations addressed the medical aspect of marijuana, the regulations did not address the social and recreational use. Issues of legally possessing marijuana for recreational use were not addresses nor focused upon during the creation and implementation of the Canadian Marijuana Medical Access Regulations.

 

 

Whether it's little or a lot, marijuana is an illegal substance, and I do not believe the legalization of this substance for recreational use could benefit the Canadian public. Our “Big Brother” to the south of us (the United Stated of America) has adopted in 22 states some form of decriminalization. One of the most recent states to conform to legistrate the decriminalization of marijuana was Massachusetts, where people are now assessed a civil fine of $100 instead of being charged with a crime. There are now 22 states out of the total 50 states that make up the United States of America, 44% of an estimated 304,059,724 total population, that agree marijuana should be decriminalized in some sort of way and have created legislation in their perspective states to support this ideal.

 

 

Marijuana could potentially ruin numerous young lives. High-accomplishing students who once received grades of “A’s” and “B’s” in their classes could very possibly fall to “C’s” and “D’s” after they have become regular marijuana smokers. Adolescent children using marijuana often go to school high and some “smoking up” as early as 7:00am, “Wake and Bake” is the street terminology used for this type of marijuana misuse. Marijuana abuse ruins a lot of lives. It ruins a lot of families. ... It's not a matter of efficiency. It's not a matter of money. It's a matter of the quality of lives that marijuana affects. I would also like to express that the marijuana today is far more potent than the drug that was available in the 1970s.

 

 

I do not believe that possession of marijuana should be equated to the level of a parking ticket. I believe marijuana is a very potent controlled substance and that it’s use should remain in the hands of the medical professionals. I do believe although it is virtually impossible to stop someone if they want to smoke marijuana, keeping this substance controlled and decriminalized would best serve the Canadian people financially, socially ands medically.

 

The message we would send by decriminalizing marijuana for adults, ensuring the amount possessed would be less than 14 grams (1/2 an ounce), would be small amounts would no longer be a crime. Ideally that we’re all adults and have the right to do whatever we want with our bodies as long as we do not infringe on the rights of others. Evidently the message some think is better: Let's ruin families and lives by branding kids for life with a criminal conviction.

Most kids will recover from drugs, but they'll never recover the corruption of justice.

 

Marijuana ruins lives but so do TV, the Internet, alcohol, tobacco, and McDonalds. We need to stop spending time and money on marijuana users and better our education system instead of cutting back on teachers because of finances. We need to wake up. The worst side effects of marijuana are the present laws surrounding it. As alcohol kills thousands upon thousands of people a year, marijuana maintains a track record of 0 deaths in it's 5000 years of use.

 

It's time to stop slandering cannabis and it's advocates. Let the peaceful “hippies” be, they aren't violent, and will happily pay ridiculous taxes just to avoid being sent to jail for a long time (which costs ALL of us a LOT of money).

Marijuana isn't physically addictive, does not cause lung cancer, you cannot OD on it, and it's simply a PLANT. We let people smoke the plant tobacco, why not cannabis? As long as you don't drive, go to work on it, share it with minors, or negatively affect others, what business is it of ANYBODY'S what a Canadian puts into their system? This is supposed to be a free country.

 

Decriminalization is a baby step towards sanity. It makes more sense to legalize it -- because a legal and regulated system would (a) generate government revenue that could be used for drug education, and (b) harm the drug cartels that are chopping off people's heads in places like Mexico.

To continue to pretend that people aren't smoking marijuana is ridiculous. To punish people for a few joints in a country where the majority of people have probably smoked pot at one time or another makes no sense whatsoever.

It undermines the rule of law in this country when our government pass laws that are ignored (and I don't smoke myself). What kind of country would make criminals out of large social demographic regions of otherwise law-abiding people...not to mention most college student?

 

As soon as we make something illegal (1923 Opium and Drug Act) we loose the ability to control it. A minor is much more able to obtain marijuana than beer! The businessman / entrepreneur who has put his time, effort and money into a business is not going to risk loosing all of that by selling to a minor but the “dirt bag” drug dealer on the street doesn’t know how old you are, care what the marijuana is laced with, but only that you have the cash!! Legislation is slowly moving toward putting the sale of marijuana in the hands of regulated and inspected businesses not some guy on a street corner dope pusher. How much longer are people going to stick their head in the sand on this topic?

 

Decriminalize marijuana with some sort of sense of legislative regulatory containment would best serve the Canadian population. Do not congest our courts, cram our jails and support organized crime with the unreasonable notion of equating marijuana use to serious criminal activity.

 

The Canadian public is largely in support of the decriminalization of marijuana, and even toward its regulation so the government (the people?) may yield taxation benefits off of its enormous popularity. Since the initial 1923 banning of marijuana in Canada by the Opium and Drug Act, don't you think we should re-examine the legislation? It makes sense to me in this day and age. What do I know; I’m just a poor CDI College Student writing this paper…