Having listened to Liberals argue over legalizing marijuana for the past 50 years, it is important to understand exactly what Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said last week in Vancouver. He was hardly calling for wide availability of pot. What he says is that it should be treated the same as alcohol and cigarettes. And that is where most liberals have been arguing we should be standing.
But this stand must embarrass the right wing of the Liberal party. Their most common objection to it is “how will it effect our relations with the Repressed States of America?” What will happen is that most intellectuals and liberals in the U.S. will be impressed with our good sense. The American right wing is not going to like us more anyway.
Peter MacKay, as Harper’s new Justice Minister, responded to media requests for comment by not attacking the idea on merit. Instead, MacKay said he finds it strange that “Trudeau would be talking about legalization as a priority at this time.” In the midst of a hot summer, it makes you wonder when might be a good time to talk about it?
He pointed out that the Harper government has no intention of legalizing marijuana. He equated drug use to violence as a societal ill. After all, the Tories want to fill more prisons.
The confused New Democrat spokesperson, Deputy Leader Megan Leslie, referred to Trudeau’s statement as ‘political pandering.’ In as much as legalization of marijuana is in the NDP policy books, they are probably just annoyed that Trudeau and the Liberals took a stance first. She also mentioned the concerns with the American attitude to Canada acting unilaterally on the issue which could cause some increased border tensions.
Neither of the other parties bothered to point out that marijuana use can impair judgement. It has also been known to cause respiratory problems for heavy marijuana smokers. This is probably why Trudeau made the point that he would not want to encourage people to use it. His objective is respect Canadians and their choices. That is what liberals do!
Maybe we could advertise it in the U.S. “Keep your guns. Have you tried our brownies?”
Mind you, the legalization and controls on marijuana could add another dimension to the federal government’s anti-smoking campaign.
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Copyright 2013 © Peter Lowry
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