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| Marijuana: The NDP should out flank the Liberals Again |
| 10.04.07 (3:35 pm) [edit] |
|
By moving around the Liberals Left flank on the Afghanistan issue the NDP created needed distance between themselves and Liberals and Bloc on the issue and came closest to representing the views of most Quebecers. They should not stop there. They should do the same with Marijuana. The Conservatives looked poised to launch a War on Drugs, their denials notwithstanding. The Liberals, as usual, are trying to pander to everyone all at once and the NDP have morphed into Liberal Lite, all the good stuff but a little less filling. By proposing the legalize marijuana the NDP will create distance between themselves the Liberals and the process expose the inherent incoherence of the Liberal decriminalization position, taking a position that is bound to attract headlines well all the while being popular with a large segment of Canadian society. According to a June Angus Reid poll, 55% of Canadians support legalization. The alternative for the NDP is to cede the issue to the Conservatives. As I have said before, the Conservatives are going have their way with the Liberals on this issue and the Liberal position is the NDP position. The Liberals have tired to sound tough on trafficking while at the same time hip on possession. The problem is they can not have their cake and eat it too. Taken in isolation such bipolar position has a certain superficial appeal. However, it will not take too much time and effort to show how conflicted the Liberal position is. Indeed, can you image how ridiculous it would have sounded if this is what Chrétien said? “I will have my money for my fine and a joint in my other hand. Having paid my fine I would hope the cops find the person who sold it to me in put him in jail for a very long time.” This is essentially the Liberal’s current position and that is what Harper is going to say. By the way, you can bank on the Conservatives bringing up precisely that quote from Chrétien. The Conservatives have a fall back scheme if things go askew. They are banking on being able to insulate themselves against criticism over the marijuana issue by reverting to talking simply about drugs and other drugs, in particular heroin, coke and meth, whenever the marijuana issue gets too heated. That said, if the NDP were to promise to legalize it, the Conservatives would have no where to hide. They would be seen to be arm and arm with George Bush. |
posted by: Timothy Webster (reply)
post date: 10.04.07 (8:37 pm)
So the Conservative's fall back scheme is to revert to other drugs particularly heroin, coke and meth, whenever marijuana gets too heated. Well I have to recommend Conservatives like you stay away from those hard drugs, they will mess you up even more than you are.
posted by: koby (reply)
post date: 10.04.07 (11:30 pm)
Timmy did you read the god damn post. What in god's name makes you think I like this policy? Anyway, Did you read what the Conservatives had to say today. They hardly mentioned pot by name and when they did talk about tougher sentences they mentioned meth and coke. They are going to justify locking up pot dealers but whether the subject comes up it they are dodge the question and talk about meth, coke ect. Unless one of the opposition parties takes ownership of the issue by promising to legalize pot, this will end up being a winner for the Conservatives.
posted by: (reply)
post date: 10.05.07 (1:44 am)
You said it your god damn post.
Get off you high chair and stop spreading miss-information. And think before you post a blog next time.
You are batting and playing political games. Your post strikes me as you are trolling for trouble and don't really honestly care about finding a solution to the drug problem.
There is soft drugs and hard drugs. Tobacco and Alcohol are legal soft drugs. As a result require health warnings. Marijuana is harder, but still a soft drug. Marijuana is an illegal soft drug. Perhaps not enough is being done to education people of the dangers of Marijuana, particularly excessive usage. Coke, meth and heroin are hard drugs which just FU up. There is a difference in the criminal system between hard in soft drugs. If the Conservatives are promising to treat all drugs as hard drugs, that is a problem. Why can't the Liberals and NDP just keep Marijuana as an illegal soft drug. Legalization is a process, because for a soft drug to be legalized the public needs to be warned fully of its dangers. At this time not enough has been done to warn the public of the dangers of Marijuana. And even though Marijuana is a soft drug, perhaps its dangers do not merit its legalization?
Hmm, perhaps the Liberal and NDP policy of leaving Marijuana as an illegal soft drug is the right one.
posted by: Manuel (reply)
post date: 10.05.07 (2:46 am)
I enjoyed reading what you had to say until you mentioned Bush, the second a comparision to Bush is made it really skews a well layed out position in the eyes of alot of people. but otherwise nice post.
posted by: koby (reply)
post date: 10.05.07 (3:50 am)
Reply to: Mauel
George Bush is without question the least popular politician on earth and the Liberals and NDP regularly compare Harper to Bush in an attempt to score points. I think much of what the Liberals and NDP have to say in this regard does not do much at all and worse sounds like overheated rhetoric. However, one of the advantages of such a position is that you set up such rhetoric by leaving Bush and Harper on the same side of a policy divide.
posted by: John (reply)
post date: 01.27.08 (2:09 pm)
It astounds me every time I hear a comment like 'not enough has been done to warn the public of the dangers of Marijuana.' Indeed, there is a wealth of scientific evidence that reveals the safe, non-toxic nature of marijuana. Additionally, if you do your homework you will discover that cannabis is far safer than either alcohol or tobacco. It is unfortunate, but lies and misconceptions have been spread for so long they are still influencing the anti-cannabis crowd to this day. I can provide solid, scientific proof to discount almost any of the so-called 'ill effect' that are commonly presented by those who don't know better. Marijuan, when smoked, can be harmful to the lungs - no surprise. Marijuana and driving don't mix. Marijuana should not be used by minors. Beyond those, the anti-marijuana arguments do not stand up to the evidence, common sense or in a comparitive view to other legal drugs.
I don't use cannabis, but I believe in freedom of choice when that choice is a reasonable one. The use of cannabis is certainly a reasonable one. The biggest problem is that it carries a stigma and a ton of political baggage; actual ill-effects are few and insignificant from a punishment standpoint.
The Conservative position is ludicrous. Canadians favour legalization, but if government doesn't want to get its hands dirty with that, nothing less than full decriminalization is required in this matter. Responsible use of cannabis by adults should not be punishable by law. It's that simple.
For those who care to challenge the safety of cannabis, I suggest you read the information fully, and not just the media headlines. It will surprise you. I started out against cannabis use, but I have discovered it is one of the safest substances we know of. To jail people over it is insane.
posted by: Shannon Doughty (reply)
post date: 01.27.08 (3:34 pm)
There is a simple solution to the marihuana issue that all parties have missed. If legal age adults are allowed to comsume and grow marihuana the issue will go away. Criminal gangs will no longer be interested as their profits have been taken away; the number of marihuana smokers is not likely to change; from what I've read about the Netherlands, kids have a harder time getting it once it's off the street and so on.
The thing is, people are going to use it anyway, and since we now know it's relatively safe, why not simply allow adults to use it as they see fit? I promise you there won't be a sudden increase in growers as the plants are big and they smell. All that will change is that it will be taken out of the hands of criminals, which is the real problem in the first place.
The first party to do this will get a lot of support from Canadians. I think the Conservative position is U.S. influenced and counter-productive - as we have all seen by now! I go back to the days when the Le Dain commission in the 70's recommended decriminalization. The government - all parties - have been waffling ever since. It's time to move forward.
posted by: Denise Julien (reply)
post date: 09.05.08 (7:21 pm)
I am so sick and tired of this foolish war on marijuana. Every study by every credible, government funded, university and research facility has returned more and more health benifits to go along with it's relative harmlessness where users are concerned. Do your own investigating, all the info is there, this is an age old war that will never survive another generation. We look like a bunch of fools. It really bothers the hell out of me that the NDP who have something, policy wise, that sounds like a step out of the stone age, will not campain on issues like this. 20,000,000 people in this country smoke marijuana, thats a heck of alot of votes.