Should marijuana be legalized in Canada?

36 Comments

  • hellis - 11 years ago

    The law obviously is not working, it has never worked, and it will never work. If it did we would have seen evidence of this decades ago.The millions spent trying to enforce it is wasted. We cant even afford the law any more. Two American States have taken the plunge, the last Country that I thought that would happen. It is time Canada took the law to the legal dump-site. Getting rid of Stephen Harper will solve a lot of Canada's present problems.

  • bil - 11 years ago

    dam dawg, diz shud b leegl

  • smoke - 11 years ago

    Fyi thereis proof the cannabis is a known cure/help for many illinesses

  • Kyle - 11 years ago

    If weed is to be legalized, you would think Canada's crime rate would decrease by the numbers. Besides the government would make billions of dollars of marijuana. Arn't most politicians money hungry? Its a win-win.

  • Olive garden - 11 years ago

    Decriminalize it. Fines for smaller amounts.

  • Jon bON jOVI - 12 years ago

    dONT LEGALIZE IT SERIOUSLY

  • zack - 12 years ago

    I really dont understand why they wont make it legal because the goverment will make a shit ton of profit from this!!!

  • Jakob Thelen - 12 years ago

    My fellow Canadians, smokers and non-smokers: this topic has been thoroughly exhausted on nearly every news site I've gone to, and the results point directly to Legalization or atleast decriminalization. My sister has been sick since October from a McDonalds ice cream cone that appeared to have contained H. Pylori, a stomach virus brung about by a lack of hygiene. The doctors did nothing, so I began my research. Her symptoms matched fully with the aforementioned illness, but when we brought this to the doctors attention he took it as an inuslt. In a panic, while she was crying and throwing up stomach acid profusely, I gave her a bong hit. I had felt first-hand the curative properties of Marijuana a number of years ago and so I decided to see how it reacts with her, because the doctors did nothing(except give her Codeine, which made it worse). Within one minute she was free of pain and the bile had been suppressed. Why am I breaking the law to save my sister?! I am aware of the Medical Marijuana Bill but it is made so difficult to access that she would have sooner been consumed by her illness.

    And regardless of the innumerable medical applications, it is far less harmful than any other Legal substance, including Peanuts and Raw Potatoes! This has been dragged out long enough, face the problem and stop indirectly hurting people. By supporting prohibition you are supporting drug cartels and murder. Very un-Canadian of us. Cannabis-smokers are not at all prone to violence, which I believe was thoroughly proven at this years Toronto Marijuana March, which I proudly attended. We are not children and we have the right to not be labeled criminals simply because we want a joint rather than a beer. Please stop surveying and say something CBC and related newsgroups, spread the truth.

  • SafetyFirst - 12 years ago

    Do not decriminalize it. Legalize it and regulate it to stop the underground dealers from lacing there product and making it dangerous. We do not need a plant that is relatively harmless to be made into a harmful drug because people want to keep it illegal for reasons that are lies or have been proved wrong. Please stop lying and get at least the laced marijuana that can end up causing serious health risks off the street and start regulating it so at least if the kids are going to smoke it we know what they are smoking.

  • jordan - 12 years ago

    marijuana was only deemed illegal because it was the flower of the hemp plant, making hemp illegal for the paper industry. hemp was KILLIN it makin fibres, much stronger than any other plant. so the papermills were not benefitting so the dropped mad money on the marijuana is bad commercials and only used for mexicans and blacks. hemp can make every resource trees can but 4:1 and its renewable every 4 months? its a no brainer.

  • Richard P Steeb - 12 years ago

    The prohibition of Earth's most widely beneficial plant species is a crime against humanity. It shall NOT stand.

  • partially anonymous - 12 years ago

    It's sad that bloodshed and narco terrorism is the reason these political type are finally saying the war on drugs isnt working. What about all the non-violent victims of the drug war rotting in jail and prison over nothing more than a plant? What about all the millions of tax payer dollars thrown out the window on something that the tax payers don't support? What about being a TRUE CONSERVATIVE and removing government from our personal life? None of that seems to matter in Ottawa or Washington, and I'll say it here, its not just the war on drugs thats failing, it's our own governments.

  • salmo - 12 years ago

    OK I will admit we may all be a little retarded about this.
    But I don't like the violence of the criminal side.
    I read that cannabis has not killed anybody in thousands of years of use.
    People want it and possibly need it.
    Governments working for corporations and not people are criminal.

  • Pat S. - 12 years ago

    It should be legalized but with regulation and restrictions, similar to the way alchohol is treated

  • Jeff - 12 years ago

    Not only decriminalize it, but legalize it, regulate it and tax it.

    Make it so that you must be the age of majority to purchase it.

    Marijuana is a completely harmless drug. It is impossible to overdose on THC, and it actually decreases aggresive behabiour. It will still be illegal to drive while under the influence on Marijuana, that will never change.

    Let's all grow up and admit that Marijuana legalization is harmless. It is already so easily acquirable. Atleast you Conservatives can agree that to legalize it and have the government regulate it, would prove to help keep it away from underage kids.

  • Captain obvious - 12 years ago

    You guys are fucking retarded. Remember The Union? Remember 30 odd years ago? When the government had it legalized already? Remember that goddamn reason it was banned, and considered a bad thing.

  • Madi - 12 years ago

    Decriminalization, not legalization.

  • bill Craig - 12 years ago

    A few months ago David Suzuki ( The Nature of Things, CBC TV ) brought me up to date with a few new ( for me ) facts.The name of the program was"The Downside of High".
    Marijuana that people were smoking in the 60's and 70's was relatively harmless because the natural plant contained two prominent chemicals. THC got people "high" and the other CBD behaved like a tranquilizer, calming their nerves.
    Since then the chemistry of the plant has been bred to increase the amount of THC so it may now be twenty times more potent than it was naturally and the calming drug has all but been eliminated. Suzuki said it is now a much different experience and that a number of new smokers wind up in hospital with serious issues. Instead of a relaxing time with friends who may be having insights to relationships,or politics and who you can trust, the new plant tends to overwhelm people with a jagged,rough sense of fear.
    For these reasons I would say de-criminalize marijuana for now and see where things go.
    Knowing what you are buying is crucial to your well being. Bathtubs full of battery acid don't sound encouraging and people I have been driving to Doctors appointments tell me that dipping pot into the same bathtubs is not unknown. I understand people experimenting with things that promise a better life.
    Know your sources. Wikipedia's a good start. I totally trust David Suzuki.

  • Jd - 12 years ago

    decriminalized.

  • Shawn Vulliez - 12 years ago

    Drug prohibition has ruined many lives, it gives incentives for black market transactions as the artificial scarcity causes the price of these drugs to inflate. Gangsters and dealers do not have the interests of our communities at heart, they are only interested in makin a money off of other's addiction. Decriminalize all drugs, provide help to those who need it, and watch the dangerous criminal cartels lose their power to influence our society.

  • Mike - 12 years ago

    Prohibition didn't work for alcohol. It's failed for marijuana. We need to put an end to the violence that prohibition is fuelling. Speak up CBC! I've seen this poll a dozen times before and it always overwhelmingly leans towards legalization. Stop asking and start telling those in charge.

  • r - 12 years ago

    I believe it should be decriminalized rather than legalized.

  • pete - 12 years ago

    I. personally, have been an occasional smoker for over 40 years. I am responsible enough to regulate my own usage, and am well educated, have been steadily employed that whole period and have raised a wonderful family. Like any substance, including food, you need to know your limits and adhere to them. Our government should look to the Netherlands where there is a wealth of information regarding the use, legalization or decriminalization f this supposed drug?. That would be the most logical starting point. I think our government plans to keep total control over us and maintain treating us all like children who will not behave. I believe we could save millions or even billions by allowing us our rights and freedoms to choose on our own. That's why we elected them in the first place, right??? Finally, our politicians seem to have no problem collecting tax money and then spending billions for cancer and alcoholism research. I can't believe they can't see the benefits of allowing us to regulate the usage of marijuana, for both our personal use and plus the added income to our government to offset the other 2 bigger problems. Vote for me........I will treat you like adults!

  • Jesse - 12 years ago

    Any politician or person in North America that believes drug prohibition is the ideal solution to handling drug problems is just plain wrong, and that is simply a matter of fact. Anybody who wishes to hold on to archaic policies that, proved by direct evidence, do not work, are either ignorant of the facts, denying reality, or are deliberately betraying our society because of private interest (which is treason really). Prohibition DOES NOT WORK. Period. Where there is a commodity that is artificially valuable due to the risks assorted with prohibition, there will be people willing to take those risks in order to achieve the reward. There are literally thousands of individuals throughout our society, making large sums of money by peddling drugs to those users that demand their supply. These people make untaxed sums of money, and live better than other hard-working, law-abiding citizen. This is not fair for the rest of us. This is what needs to be stopped, yes. But American governments are going about it all wrong. You can't simply arrest, charge, and punish the ones that get caught. Yes, you will catch many people. However, the better, luckier, or more organized ones, you will not catch. They will gain control, because the system has a huge gaping hole in security: billions of dollars transferring hands without any regulatory control (isn't this WHAT the harper/republican governments want!?).

    With prohibition, we are putting the lives of millions of people on the line, for what? to stop people using illicit drugs. Okay, the philosophy itself is justifiable, in my opinion, if it logically coherent through and through. It isn't. Why can we buy alcohol? why can we buy tobacco? why can we buy caffeine? over the counter drugs? prescription drugs that are essentially the same ingredients as those illicit drugs? If you want to prohibit one but not the other, something is seriously wrong here. Drug prohibition is costing the country itself billions, but making billions in profit to select groups of people. Why do we continue to allow this? In the name of keeping our children off drugs? is that the excuse we want to give? If so, why aren't we counselling and mentoring children from a young age about why you do not need drugs, instead of simply trying to scare them with "drugs are bad, and illegal". If you fear a nation of drug-addicts, then ask yourself, do you really want to be surrounded by hoards police to prevent this from happening, and then finding out that it still happens? Kids these days are trying drugs earlier, more often, and it is becoming far more acceptable within certain circles. Drugs are readily available and easy to obtain, with money. There's even an added factor of, "it's illegal so it's cool", that encourages people to indulge. So, is prohibition working? is this the policy we want to keep pursuing?

  • Scott - 12 years ago

    Its so ridiculous that its still illegal. The war against it has caused tens of thousands of people to die, and hundreds of thousands to be put in jail(globally). The drug on it own? Zero. It is medically impossible to kill yourself with marijuana.
    Alcohol, Cigarettes, hell even Caffeine have a bigger negative effect on the body than pot.

    This isnt coming from someone who smokes pot either. I abstain from all drugs unless told by a doctor(including caffeine). This is coming from someone who's sick of seeing his tax dollars go to keep some 18 year old kid in prison at a cost of $50k+ a year to the country, not to mention the loss of revenue from having one fewer able body person contributing to the economy and paying their own taxes. Its funny how the 'fiscal conservatives' can rally against this as if it makes any fiscal sense in the slightest. Maybe it has more to do with them looking to justify building all those prisons?

  • John Allen West - 12 years ago

    There is No party or Government,or Court in this Land or any in other, that has or has ever had legitimate authority to prohibit the cultivation,distribution,or use of this,most Sacred of Plants. The arbitrary criminalization,by various institutions for the last75 years, is a Blasphemy . and an oppressive Crime against the Common People everywhere. Calling for legalization,is to sustain the power by sycophants who wish to co modify, this most gracious Gifts of God for their profit. Decriminalization like the proper return to the the use of The bank of Canada is Vital to the sanity,peace order and Good Management of Canada The arrest of all living Prime ministers,Premiers,Judges, and functionaries who have been party to these Blasphemous Deceits , would no doubt , clear their heads, and save their souls.
    Reverend Brother John A West Church of the Universe Ordination#4269 Tara Section S.D.G.

  • Becky - 12 years ago

    Of course, it's common sense. It's why the politicians haven't figured it out yet.

  • Tbone - 12 years ago

    It'll be legal eventually, but not soon. Even if they do decide to legalize it, they will take forever to figure out how to properly regulate it.

  • Coral Campbell - 12 years ago

    I think it should be legalised worldwide it not the pot smokers who are causing all the problems in the world it's the ones sticking needles in their arms and snorters etc. And look at the hell alcohol causes that would have 2 b worse than the smokers and tokers. Prescription medicines are no better people abuse them just because it's legal don't mean they are okay.

  • Drake - 12 years ago

    Regardless of whether or not it is harmful, the majority of Canadians believe it should be legalized, therefore the government must respect the demands of the people.

  • CoMa - 12 years ago

    I voted yes but something I have to comment on is that here we differ between drug trafficking and the governmental distribution of marijuana. But isn't the sale of "drugs" the sale of drugs no matter what you call it? I think the only real difference is taxes and awareness. Before long people will be saying the world is more high than ever. Just like how we hear that its more violent. But its not more violent, its more televised. In the case of pot, we won't be any more high than usual. More people will simply know about it.

  • Justin - 12 years ago

    Decrimilization would be more benfitical, the fact is if it's legalized it's a win win for the government. The possession chargers in Canada are ridulous and the govt makes their money with imprisonment so they are just weighing there odds on how much of a cut they can pull off of this scheme. Most people don't realize that the govt is already indirectly profitting with potting soil, lighting etc. Point being they will dragged this out for as long as they can.

  • Pat l - 12 years ago

    I wonder if ; scrapping the gun registry, continuing to oppose the apparent views which are opposite(to legalize this drug) of the majority of current day Canadians, and to not provide any current facts or studies to provide finding which this plant even should be illegal in the first place. Stephen Harper listen to your people and take a proper approach to this situation.
    Thank you Patrick LaBute.

  • tybur - 12 years ago

    The government are people bringing most of the drugs into their countries so why not decriminalize it?

  • John - 12 years ago

    Marijuana possession and growing small amounts for personal use should be de-criminalized. Sale of seeds should be legalized and taxed.
    This approach acknowledges the associated risks and the harm that results from organized crime involvement, while complete prohibition is a demonstrable failure every time it is employed.

  • Ken - 12 years ago

    Legalization is part of the Liberal platform. Lets get them elected so they can save our country by reversing the direction we are going with these Harpocrits. Maybe it should be a referendum issue on the next Federal election ballot. I'm assuming that there 'will be' another election', hopefully a legal one(not like the last one). Perhaps there won't be one as Harper will be the one to make that decision. I believe he thinks his Dictatorship should just continue so he can continue to "Fix" Canada so we can't recognize it.

Leave a Comment

0/4000 chars


Submit Comment