Attempt To Legalize Pot In BC Not Over Yet
In the mid sixties being caught with a couple of joints would almost always result in some serious consequences. In most jurisdictions the police of the day showed little tolerance. That meant a lot of well meaning citizens in Canada ended up with a record for smoking weed.
Fast forward to today and the whole idea of what is acceptable when it comes to weed is front and center.
No longer is there a social stigma attached to smoking pot and in some Ameircan States the use of it is no longer illegal.
While that may be the case, Sensible BC, the people who were trying to get a referendum in BC on legalizing the use of the drug, failed. They needed 400 thousand signatures to trigger a vote, and only managed to get just over the halfway mark. Dana Larsen, who headed the group, says they have collected about 220,000.
Larsen claims a poll suggests that seven out of every ten in BC support legalizing pot, but apparently all those supposed supporters either didn't connect with the petition, or failed to step up and put their name to paper.
If you look at the past enforcement and then move it ahead to 2013, it is apparent that while many people in the province do not support legalizing pot, there is widespread acceptance for those that do and had Larsen had the ability to conduct a widespread campaign it is very likely his group would have obtained the support it needed.
Meantime, government will sit back and wait until someone has done the leg work to reach that threshold. If someone is able to reach that mark, the Government can simply say it is doing what the people want.
I'm Meisner and that's one man's opinion.
Comments
Because the petition did not reach the threshold required there was no vetting of invalid signatures. So the figure of getting 220000 signatures is probably high.
The real killer for these types of petitions is the need to get 10% of the eligible voters in all 87 ridings. Almost impossible.
I expect that trying to legalize marijuana via this tactic is now dead in the water.
Just do it like they are doing in the USA. The provincial governments need to individually get the balls to put it on the ballot, even though it is a federal issue, just like the USA. The feds there are not going to be doing anything about it as those states where the people said “yes” are implementing the wishes of the people.
End of story!! End of one part of the expensive WAR against drugs. A war that cannot be won, even in places like North Korea, I am sure.
The guy collecting signatures around Central was fairly well dressed in his suit and all but rude as all get out once he figured out I wasn’t going to sign the petition. I suppose I am too ‘old fashioned’ in my way of thinking as he claimed
The idea that most people are in favour of legalizing pot is incorrect.
This has been shown to some degree, by the failure of the petition.
Its rather strange that on the one hand we are doing everything possible to get people to quit smoking tobacco, but we are trying to make it easier for them to smoke marijuana.
The Federal Government is putting things in place so that those people who need marijuana for medical purposes can access it.
If we legalize Marijuana, will we need more **Red Nose** volunteers at Christmas and New Years???
Doesn’t stop the ‘war on drugs’ even in Washington where the new law just got put on the books. Just changes the face of it when it comes to mary jane
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marijuana-initiatives-prompt-colorado-washington-to-focus-on-keeping-stoned-drivers-off-road/
http://www.medicaldaily.com/more-washington-motorists-test-positive-pot-following-marijuana-legalization-263633
Be careful what you wish for
Go ahead and legalize it as soon as there is a roadside test for drivers and mandatory work site drug testing. Throw in mandatory testing for welfare and EI too.
What should I avoid while taking Tylenol with Codeine?
This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how acetaminophen and codeine will affect you.
Do we have road side test for legal drugs, such as painkillers?
Alcohol and pot are not the only substances which can impair thinking and reaction times. In fact, emotional stress can be just as effective at doing that.
But, hey, it makes us feel good that we have tested for one of a multitude of conditions.
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