Good news for all my fellow stoners out there!
According to the Toronto Star:
The Liberal government formally announced its plans to legalize and regulate marijuana.
“We know it is impossible to arrest our way out of this problem,” Health Minister Jane Philpott said Wednesday in New York during an impassioned speech to the United Nations General Assembly at a special session on global drug policy.
The timing of the announcement on April 20 — or 420, as pot activists and connoisseurs call this calendar day — was a coincidence, more than one government source insisted, but still a fitting day to reveal plans to make good on a major campaign promise to legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana.
“Our approach to drugs must be comprehensive, collaborative and compassionate. It must respect human rights while promoting shared responsibility, and it must have a firm scientific foundation,” Philpott said in her prepared remarks.
The legislation to be introduced next spring and the regulations that follow it will be designed to keep marijuana away from both children and organized crime, said Philpott, whose speech drew upon her experience as a doctor in Africa as she spoke about the impacts of ineffective drug policies.
“While this plan challenges the status quo in many countries, we are convinced it is the best way to protect our youth while enhancing public safety,”
I, for one couldn't be happier. The war on drugs is an expensive farce that has destroyed millions of lives, while making lots of criminals alot of money.
Places like Portugal that have legalized ALL drugs have actually seen crime and addictions drop.
KB