Yahoo: U.S., Canada clash on pot laws

[shanek]

So Canada, apparently operating under some strange influence of rationality normally uncharacteristic of governments, is trying to change the laws to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a misdemeanor instead of a felony.

They're not even legalizing it; they're making it punishable by a fine instead of jail time. Yet, the US Government is threatening to, as the article says, "make it more difficult for Canadian goods to get into this country" while at the same time "stressing that they aren't trying to interfere in Canada's affairs."

Yeah, right.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=676&e=4&u=/usatoday/20030508/ts_usatoday/5139772

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by shanek
So Canada, apparently operating under some strange influence of rationality normally uncharacteristic of governments, is trying to change the laws to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a misdemeanor instead of a felony.

They're not even legalizing it; they're making it punishable by a fine instead of jail time. Yet, the US Government is threatening to, as the article says, "make it more difficult for Canadian goods to get into this country" while at the same time "stressing that they aren't trying to interfere in Canada's affairs."

Yeah, right.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=676&e=4&u=/usatoday/20030508/ts_usatoday/5139772

They have also tried that line with Australia. How can you not interfere with a countries legal process while making it perfectly clear that that is exactly what you are doing.

[jimlintott]

I was watching one of our (Canada's) news programs the other day and they were discussing this. The interviewie (I can't remember who he was) claimed that the US is being hypocritical as there are something like eleven states that have decriminilized pot (I don't know for sure but if its true that would be hypocritical).

Apparently Canada has backed down a bit by only decriminilizing when the recommendation was for legalizing. Until we legalize the black market stays strong and happy and it remains one of the easiest drugs for my young teenager daughter to obtain. She can't buy cigarrettes or alcohol. Luckily pot is much safer than either of those and the most dangerous effect (ciminal record) will now be gone.

[shanek]

Originally posted by jimlintott
I was watching one of our (Canada's) news programs the other day and they were discussing this. The interviewie (I can't remember who he was) claimed that the US is being hypocritical as there are something like eleven states that have decriminilized pot (I don't know for sure but if its true that would be hypocritical).

11 states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. The Feds have arrested people operating legally, in flagrant violation of the 10th Amendment.

[GrapeJ713]

The feds are so stupid. They should be focusing on protecting the nation from terrorists, they would have more money and time if pot was legal. It seems crazy after seeing the effects of alcohol prohibition where gang violence, rise of organized crime, money wasted trying to fight an unwinnable war, that people still support drug prohibition.










edited for spelling

[tedly]

I take it this means the US administration is going to cut off the flow of Canadian oil? We currently ship more than Saudi Arabia does.

[schplurg]

Many U.S. states have legalized marijuana for "medicinal" purposes, but the Feds squash the states due to the FDA not supporting pot as medicine, among other reasons.

The whole "medical marijuana" movement is the wrong way to go about legalizing pot. To make it legal medicinally, you need to prove that it is an effective treatment in some way. Then the FDA has to approve it. Then you need to be able to control the content of THC and other chemicals so that doseage can be recommended and applied with a degree of consistency.

Too many obstacles need to be overcome in order to legalize pot as medicine. I personally know people with marijuana prescriptions for back pain, as well as other conditions that pot has never been proven an effective remedy. They are just pot smokers looking for a way to smoke without getting busted, and they freely admit it (the people I know anyways). The whole thing is bogus.

What we really need is the decriminalization of marijuana use. This "medical" crap is a way of getting a foot in the door of legality, but I think it would be easier, and more honest, to legalize it period. There needn't be a medical reason for pot anymore than there is for alcohol, caffeine or nicotine.