Posted on 01/03/2003 9:58:54 AM PST by MrLeRoy
Half of Canadians want the federal government to decriminalize possession of marijuana, and support for relaxed laws is not confined to the young.
The new survey comes at a time when Justice Minister Martin Cauchon says he is going to remove simple marijuana possession from the Criminal Code, but his boss, Prime Minister Jean Chr?tien, isn't sure.
"It certainly says that we are a relatively liberal society on this issue," said Toronto pollster Michael Sullivan.
The U.S. has also warned against decriminalization, saying Canada should get over its "reefer madness" if it doesn't want to face the wrath of its largest trading partner.
The survey of 1,400 adult Canadians showed 50 per cent either strongly or somewhat support decriminalization, while 47 per cent are somewhat or strongly opposed.
The poll was conducted in early November for Maclean's magazine, Global TV and Southam News by the Strategic Counsel, a Toronto-based polling firm. The results are considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The survey showed 53 per cent of Canadians under 40 support looser laws, while 48 per cent of people aged 40 and older want to see marijuana decriminalized.
Mr. Sullivan said there was less of an age gap than there is on other social issues, such as gay marriage and gay adoption.
"I guess we should think that marijuana smoking in general started in the 1960s so a lot of people now who are 40 plus are people who may have tried marijuana in the 60s," he said.
The survey also revealed men are more likely than women to favour relaxed laws and support is strongest among people with money. Fifty-three per cent of men said the government should act, compared to 48 per cent of women.
The findings are different than they are for most social issues, in which women tend to be more liberal than men, Mr. Sullivan said.
Support for looser laws also increased with income. Of those earning more than $100,000, 59 per cent want marijuana decriminalized. The pollsters speculated support is driven by education and affordability.
But the pollsters warned the government should proceed with caution because the results show almost half of Canadians oppose any law changes.
"This isn't 70 or 80 per cent saying let's do it, but it certainly suggests that this is something that should be vigorously debated and as you get more information, let's see where people stand on it," said Mr. Sullivan.
The poll results show British Columbia leads the pack of supporters, with 56 per cent in favour. Support in Ontario registered at 51 per cent, while 48 per cent of Albertans and Quebecers reported favouring looser laws. Support was lowest in Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada, at 46 per cent in favour.
The Strategic Council did not ask Canadians whether they support legalization of marijuana. Rather the survey dealt with decriminalization, which would still make possession illegal, but people caught would be given a fine akin to a parking ticket rather than saddled with a criminal record.
But Mr. Sullivan suspects many of those surveyed did not distinguish between decriminalization and legalization.
Mr. Cauchon has rejected legalization, which was recommended by a Senate committee last summer, saying society still wants some sort of punishment for marijuana smokers.
Even if true, that doesn't stop you from calling for it. Do you? If not, why not?
At least with all of their bodies laying around, it may be too dangerous for the terrorists to sneak into the US through Canada...they could trip and hurt themselves.
<yawn> Another Drug Warrior insinuating that all libertarians use drugs. How clever .... <zzzzzzzz>
So you've never, say, publicly argued that the welfare state should be dismantled?
No, you did more than that---you said, "I'll buy the concept if ..."
Why not?
From a conservative philosophical standpoint, I don't agree. The correct argument is not "Don't worry, we'll protect you from the monsters.", but rather "Look for yourself - you've been lied to. There is no monster."
No. I would consider him a politician who has been duped by the left into thinking that making dangerous drugs legal, cheap, and available is about "freedom" and "patriotism".
That's baloney. Plenty of studies have indicated that smoking XX amount of grass is equivalent to smoking an ungodly amount of cigarettes. The anti-grassers love quoting this meaningless stat, and would like nothing more than to pin XX,XXX number of deaths per year on the hazards of smoking grass.
That's one line of approach; another is to demonstrate to neutrals and mild antis that the "principles" proclaimed by hard-antis are bogus.
Yep, that's Dan Burton all over---a dupe of the left. <rolls eyes>
I've read your posts and hear where you're coming from, but I'd have to say you're not looking at this from the right perspective. It's not a matter of being on the side that wants something when all you want to do is be left alone because you're not committing a crime. Exactly why was such a civilization-destroying substance like marijuana made criminal in the United STates in the first place? Because some torqued bureaucrat named Anslinger from the Prohibition days saw his job going away and was able to stir up enough support for his stoned hispanics and black jazz musicians rape white women smoke and mirrors act, and that's it.Your mindset proves exactly correct the people who argue that once a right is lost, it's lost forever.
Either because I'm not an idiot or because I'm religious. Maybe both.....
Unless your "willingness to bet" is backed up by some facts, find a quarter and call someone who cares.
or don't mind if others use them
They support the right of others to use them---it's called FREEDOM.
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