Issue - Marijuana

  • The Liberal government under Paul Martin reintroduced legislation in February decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana
  • Stephen Harper has been a harsh critic of the legislation that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana
  • He rejected the findings of a Senate committee report in 2002, saying he doesn't believe alcohol is more harmful than pot
  • Introduce a non-punitive rule-based approach to deal with adult marijuana use
  • Favors decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.
  • Impose fines for possession, no criminal record
  • Implement a drug prevention/awareness program
  • Legalize, regulate and tax marijuana production
  • Use part of the tax revenues to fund addiction prevention and treatment
  • Allow provinces to decide where and in what circumstances marijuana can be purchased legally
  • Law enforcement should be directed at prohibiting exports and illegal production
  • Amend the Controlled Substances Act to ensure provinces have a full range of options available for harm reduction and public health programs
  • Provinces should create safe-injection clinics, needle exchanges and giving certified drug addicts access to safe doses