While waiting to legalize pot, why not decriminalize it in the meantime?
Ottawa could well bring in an interim regime involving decriminalization
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
The Trudeau government has put itself and many Canadians in a bind with the announcement that it will legalize marijuana by July of next year. Canada has made it clear that the war on this particular drug is over – a decision based on pot’s popularity and ready availability in this country, and in the knowledge that criminalizing its sale and possession for personal use is more harmful, on balance, than allowing its consumption in a tightly regulated market. But on the other hand, Canada intends to continue in the interim to make it a crime to have pot in your possession, except for medical reasons. (See also: Justin Trudeau: father's influence made my brother's marijuana charge 'go away' | Marijuana decriminalization: Why is Trudeau creating legal limbo?)
