Glad to see this is full legalization being proposed.
Decriminalization is of little use to the chronically uncool.
Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
41–50 of 218 posts
Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
#42Canadian News Source
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/philpott-un-marijuana-legisl...
I love that they picked this day to make an announcement.
Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Legalize" means it's fully legal to produce, distribute and buy. It may be regulated, so you may need a license and follow certain rules, but other than that it's like any other product on the market. "Decriminalize" means it's still illegal to produce, distribute or buy, but it's not a criminal offence. So you may be fined, etc., but you can't be arrested or go to jail for it.
It should be legalized, but with one condition: any and all advertising should be banned. In fact, it should apply to all drugs (as it is in other countries).
That is fine, but beer and liquor need to be included as well.
Just because alcohol prohibition ended first, doesn't mean it deserves special treatment (I live in a state where cannabis is legal).
Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
#44I'm curious if all those decriminalizations and legalizations in various states & countries are having an impact on Netherlands' tourism.
I wouldn't be surprised if it had close to zero impact. As much as people like to talk about Amsterdam's legal marijuana laws, I'm skeptical many people visited that country only because of that. Marijuana isn't exactly hard to get and smoke in private in the places these laws are being enacted in.
"Marijuana" isn't one thing. Dutch coffeeshops are fairly unique in their offering a tasting menu of dozens of varieties of marijuana.
But yes, the actual number of cannabis connoisseur tourists is tiny.
Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
#45what about Canada's responsibilities under certain international treaties to prohibit the production and supply of drugs?
ehhh, most of the UN wants to really talk about a different approach than prohibition, historically it's been Russia, China, a few smaller countries and the US that has taken a hardline on it. Now the US is starting to back away. Will be interesting to see if anything new comes out of hte next UN drugs summit.
UK is probably going to keep a hardline on it. Government shuts down any potential discussions on it here.
Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
#46Glad to see this is full legalization being proposed. Decriminalization is of little use to the chronically uncool.
> the chronically uncool.
Such as politicians? Or basically most people living in Ottawa?
Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
#47https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_Convention_on_Narcotic_... How do they get out of this? I've read that this is a big holdup in US federal drug law reform.
UN is meeting one of the next couple of months to hopefully start to get rid of all that idiocy. Hard to justify the US's position now with 4 states and DC legalizing it and many countries have been waiting some time to get rid of these stupid treaties and the war on drugs that's literally killing some of them as we speak.
>> "UN is meeting one of the next couple of months to hopefully start to get rid of all that idiocy"
I think that meeting it yesterday, today, and tomorrow - hence the timing of this announcement.
Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
#48I'm curious if all those decriminalizations and legalizations in various states & countries are having an impact on Netherlands' tourism.
Unless the country is very close to the Netherlands, I doubt it will have much effect.
If someone is willing to spend thousands of dollars to travel to the Netherlands because of marijuana, they are probably pretty into marijuana, and if they are that into it, they are probably using it in their home country anyway, despite it being illegal.
The legal barriers are not hard to work around, and in almost every country it would be easier to get illegal marijuana locally than to arrange travel to the Netherlands.
Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, they have promised legalization. However there's virtually no chance of this being a free-for-all. What I expect the main features to be: - Certified and regulated producers, though not numerically limited - heavily-taxed. - no problems growing your own. - retail distribution depends on province. More liberal in BC, government-run in Ontario. - separate certifications for places "serving" (ie, pot cafes). Can't t…
In other words, regulated in a way that is very close to how alcohol is currently sold in Ontario.
The key difference is that quality marijuana can be grown indoors for personal consumption, whereas it's very difficult to make a quality whiskey or beer by comparison.
So I'm curious what effect this will have on prices. Because if pricing is anything like alcohol in Ontario then there will still be a lively black market and, if legalized, a personal-growing boom.
In Ontario alcohol can only be bought at two government run retail stores called LCBO and "The Beer Store" at much higher prices than the US and even Montreal. Unlike in some other provinces you can't walk into a grocery or corner store, you have to go to the predefined locations of the alcohol stores, which typically close at 9pm, making it harder to get alcohol. Especially if you don't drive.
I hope they don't make the same mistake with weed, because the market dynamics are different.
Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
#50Glad to see this is full legalization being proposed. Decriminalization is of little use to the chronically uncool.
> the chronically uncool. Such as politicians? Or basically most people living in Ottawa?
Sure. I suspect there's a lot of people in Ottawa who'd enjoy the occasional joint, but don't know where to get it.
As for politicians... well, my impression is that they prefer crack.