Posted on 03/04/2005 4:15:11 PM PST by Clive
Pot grow ops a 'scourge': McLellan
OTTAWA (CP) -- Marijuana production is a violent, organized scourge that judges should combat with serious sentences, says Justice Minister Anne McLellan.
All of society bears responsibility for recognizing the national boom in grow operations that are typically backed by organized crime, McLellan said Friday.
Judges who don't penalize traffickers accordingly should be called to account, she said, one day after four Mounties were killed during a raid on an Alberta grow op that went horribly wrong.
"I would say that all of us -- including the judiciary -- need to understand what is at stake here. And I think yesterday was a horrible and tragic reminder."
Judges who don't put major producers behind bars will have to offer reasons under proposed legislation now before Parliament that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot, McLellan said.
"Where there are aggravating circumstances and there is no jail time, you explain to the people who live in your community, that you serve, you explain to them why you did not believe jail time was appropriate in light of aggravating circumstances."
McLellan denied that she believes judges have been too soft on pot growers -- a common police complaint.
"I'm not saying that. As a society we all bear responsibility to take this particular crime very seriously."
McLellan spoke at the Liberal policy convention where delegates will debate a resolution -- from the Alberta wing of the party -- to legalize pot. She dismissed any chance that the minority government will move in that direction.
"This government does not support the legalization of marijuana. We've been quite clear about that."
There is no evidence you would consider relevant, I think the politics or the drug owns you.
It would be interesting to know how DUI stats would be if prohibition continued. Probably be at least halved, if not far far lower.
Instead of baseless ad hominems, just state the relevance of your evidence ... or be man enough to admit it has none.
I doubt it; Prohibition motivated drinkers to drink heavily when they drank (so as to maximize the return on their risk).
When evidence are ideas are given to you, you go 'even so it doesn't matter'
Why bother to give you anything when you're such a 1-trick pony? Do you care about *any* other topics besides drugs? Most normal people don't obsess on one topic only.
I say that only if it doesn't matter. Does the concept of relevance completely escape you? If I said, "The speed of light is 186,282 mps, so marijuana should be legalized," wouldn't you ask what the relevance of my evidence was?
That's basically all you do, blather your opinion on why it should be legal. Here's a hint, nobody gives a damn. Stop flooding the board please.
If nobody posted on these threads, I'd go away ... but you're addicted to replying to me, even when you have nothing to say.
I wish wish FR had an ignore user and ignore threads started by user option. Seeing your crap on the list constantly is so irritating.
I wonder how the use of medical marijuana plays into people who use pot being mentally damaged.
The issue I have with the criminalization of pot smoking is that it A. takes up way too much of the legal system's resources. B. makes criminals of people who have committed no harm to society. C. encourages the corruption of the judicial system. An example of C is laws which allow the seizure of the property used in drug dealings. I am sure most people have stories of the abuse of this provision.
I just don't think pot is a great enough threat to general health, safety and welfare of the public to justify the laws regarding its use.
What do you find so difficult about doing your own ignoring? Why this obsession with me?
Marijuana cartel in B.C. = Hells Angels, Asian gangs, traditional organized crime. Interesting that they are attempting to legalize pot and one of the worst Canadian LE murders in years occurs while the RCMP is investigating it.
No, just personal possession and use ... which does nothing to divest criminals of the inflated profits created by anti-pot-selling laws.
I am not sure who the they are you mention in your post.
But the involvement of the people you mentioned in the pot business is no surprise. Neither is it a surprise that their involvement brings an element of violence into the mix that was unknown years ago. Reminds me of the cocaine cowboy days of the 70's. I live in Florida so that hit close to home. I sure as heck do not want to see similar things happen over marijuana.
No, nor was it a surprise when criminals got involved in alcohol during Prohibition. The right answer, then and now, is legalization.
You'd be surprised how many decent, hard-working folks enjoy the odd number -- including a few Freepers, I suspect.
If you think government should be subsidizing a criminal industry by limiting supply, you belong over at DU, where there are lots of folks who mistake their personal preference for The Way Things Need To Be.
Grow up -- and if you can't manage that, how about paying my share of the drug-war bill, since you're such an ardent supporter?
No conservative pushes recreational use of illegal drugs.
No conservative tells others what to do if third parties aren't being hurt
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.