cannabisnews.com: Chrétien Led 1981 Move To Reform Pot Laws
Chrétien Led 1981 Move To Reform Pot Laws
Posted by CN Staff on September 21, 2002 at 15:03:37 PT
By Dean Bee, Canadian Press
Source: Canadian Press
Jean Chretien helped launch an initiative to radically reform marijuana laws when he was justice minister in 1981, newly released records show. Cabinet documents from the government of then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau show that Chretien pressed cabinet to lower fines, reduce jail sentences and eliminate the criminal records of Canadians convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana.
Chretien also tabled a discussion paper at cabinet that, among other things, raised the possibility of legalizing marijuana. "Legalization and any regulation of cannabis production, distribution and use would likely reduce some of the adverse consequences of using the criminal law in this area," says the Jan. 23, 1981, paper. "Because the conduct would be legal there would be no offences, no criminal records, and no stigmatization. As well, there would be a significant reduction of an illicit market, which obliges people to engage in criminal activities or deal with criminal types in order to supply themselves with cannabis." Documents detailing the reform proposals, which were never put into effect, were obtained under the Access to Information Act. The law permits the disclosure of cabinet records only after 20 years have passed. Between January and July of 1981, Chretien joined Robert Kaplan and Monique Begin - the solicitor general and health minister - in trying to persuade cabinet colleagues to lighten the fines and prison terms for simple possession of marijuana. The proposals would also curb police powers and provide pardons to those convicted under the previous, harsher law. Full legalization, although briefly considered, was ultimately rejected partly because "there is little doubt . . . that legalized distribution would likely result in the increased use of cannabis by Canadians thereby increasing the health and safety hazards which are associated with it." More than two decades later, the torch has passed to Prime Minister Jean Chretien's own justice minister, who is considering the decriminalization of marijuana. Martin Cauchon said this summer that there is "strong support" among Canadians for a new legal regime that would drop penalties against people who possess and use small quantities of the drug. Earlier this month, a Senate committee called on the government to legalize and regulate the production and sale of marijuana, and to erase the criminal records of those already convicted of simple possession. Cauchon, who has admitted to smoking dope in his youth, has said the government will not disclose its next move until early next year. However, he has already indicated that legalization would create too many international problems for the government, which has signed treaties outlawing various drugs. In July this year, Chretien said he had never tried marijuana. "I don't smoke cigarettes, and when I was young the word marijuana did not exist," he said. "I didn't know. I learned about the word long after that. It was too late to try it." Nevertheless, a younger Chretien spearheaded the Trudeau government's abortive efforts to relax marijuana laws following a Throne speech on April 14, 1980, that promised significant reform. As justice minister, he pressed for a maximum fine of $200, or maximum imprisonment of 15 days, for simple possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana. At the time, a first offence was punishable by a maximum fine of $1,000 and-or six months in jail. But like all government initiatives in the wake of the 1973 report of the Le Dain Commission, which recommended the legalization of marijuana, this one died before becoming law. The first major reform of the law controlling marijuana did not come into effect until 1996 with passage of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The 1981 cabinet records do not make clear why the Chretien proposals went nowhere, though the minutes of meetings indicate several cabinet ministers were opposed to reform. "Some Ministers expressed reservations that the government should not be seen to be liberalizing laws on Cannabis at this time," say the minutes of a July 29, 1981, cabinet meeting. Source: Canadian PressAuthor: Dean Bee, Canadian PressPublished: Saturday, September 21, 2002Copyright: 2002 The Canadian PressRelated Articles & Web Site:Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmDecriminalizing Pot: Why Stop There?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13493.shtmlPot Laws Could Be Eased, Cauchon Says http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13427.shtml
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Comment #49 posted by DANA on September 22, 2002 at 22:48:00 PT
afterburner
All of that was from the statement released last friday to send to congress,and try to justify invading Iraq.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #48 posted by afterburner on September 22, 2002 at 20:00:47 PT:
DANA - excerpts from the Administrations statement
Re: Comment #30 posted by DANA on September 21, 2002 at 22:00:06 PT
Excerpts #2
Copied from the Administrations statement.09/20/2002 Was that the same speech where Bush extolled the American virtues of liberating peoples and showing compassion. I thought it was ironic that he spoke this way in the aftermath of the heavy-handed federal attack on WAMM. How about liberating medical marijuana patients from the theat of police violence? How about compassion for the compassion clubs?
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Comment #47 posted by DANA on September 22, 2002 at 01:09:26 PT
FoM!
..You stunned me by being such a rascal in comment #10..that's a goody!......I pity da foo' who messes with FoM! !..
."BGreen
Now Now Now would like me to make it 6! ......"
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Comment #46 posted by DANA on September 22, 2002 at 01:01:21 PT
Hope
..I ....used the dot punctuation for the pause reason too;;not just because I was HTML challenged.......a pause,,,a pause that needed to be longer than a single comma,but not long enough,or appropriate to hassle with making a new paragraph.
I decided to switch over to using more commas,after I thought that I might be over-using the period key;;;after that;I decided to use some of the more rarely used,,more lonesome keys,such as;;;;;````````~~~~~[[]]{{}}\\||===...
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Comment #45 posted by Hope on September 22, 2002 at 00:19:16 PT
DANA, FoM, CongressmanSuet, Jose.......
FoM's been on a deleting rampage! :-)CongressmanSuet, I thanked Jose for some information he found just today...or yesterday...he found me all sorts of imformation on the number of chemicals in the common onion. Thanks again, Jose!FoM, I've been filling out Zogby polls for a couple of years or one at least. Time flies. Your post reminded me that I had one languishing in the mail box so I jumped over there and completed it. They didn't ask for my opinion of Bush's performance this time, but they have. Sign up to be polled.http://interactive.zogby.com/pollregistration/registration/DANA...I've been using the multidot punctuation for years! I don't know HTML...but I didn't know that's why I used them...I think I use them cause it's sort of a pause place...but I can't decide on a period or a comma...then I would have to make a capital letter...which is a little more trouble...gotta save that energy when and where you can....
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Comment #44 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 23:12:43 PT
Thanks Dana
Change is always hard but I've spent my whole life, like we all have, adapting to change and it hasn't done anything but upset me for a while but in the end it always seemed to work out. I'm calling it a day. Have a good night my friend. You are you know? Take care.
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Comment #43 posted by DANA on September 21, 2002 at 23:04:37 PT
I think
...that it is good,and worthwhile to stop the HTML tags.I believe that it's true;HTML tags can be used in many devious ways!....AND;people can still get their points accross,without HTML tags.....after all,I have not let the profanity rules get in the way of speaking my mind...surely we can still communicate effectively without HTML tags!.........In fact,,I welcome anyone who wants to start using the dddd punctuational system,to go for it.....It was developed for this exact reason...dddd was HTML illiterate for a long time,,so he took the cheap shortcut,of seperating ideas with dots,or commas or whatever....that's how the whole thing started!....More later.
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Comment #42 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 22:36:16 PT
BGreen
No other link. The security problem was told to me. I just got an email from Matt and he fixed the spacing problem so it should be ok now.
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Comment #41 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 22:33:52 PT
That's not what I meant, FoM
You said this to mayan:"Matt fixed the security problem but now we can't space an article."I assumed that there was a security problem that had been disclosed in some other post that mayan would have known about, and that's the link I was talking about.
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Comment #40 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 22:24:44 PT
BGreen
Just the link I posted below to say no html tags. I listen when I'm told that it could be dangerous and trust that it is so.
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Comment #39 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 22:16:36 PT
FoM, you've mentioned a security problem twice
Is there a link to what this is all about? I know some people are good with html language, but I was just thrilled to death to learn how to do bold, italics and different size type. Hardly a threat except to good taste.
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Comment #38 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 22:13:37 PT
BGreen
We could have picked up a virus just from posting I believe. Injurying someones expensive computer and causing them anguish just isn't something I want to feel responsible for in anyway. I know how much these computers cost.
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Comment #37 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 22:12:02 PT
Dang
I break rules all the time and don't even know it. :-(
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Comment #36 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 22:10:20 PT
I think it's those "Neilson" people
that watches all of those TV programs that I don't like. :-)
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Comment #35 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 22:10:08 PT
BGreen
The security flaw was the html tags. The site was never meant to allow them. We can't risk problems for them. It just isn't worth it.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/help.shtml#links
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Comment #34 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 22:05:28 PT
BGreen
No one has polled me ever about how I feel about Bushes performance and I bet not one person here has been asked. Who are they polling to get those stats?
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Comment #33 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 22:04:24 PT
We still can't use html tags
The spacing is fixed, but the html thing is going to cause some funky formatting errors.
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Comment #32 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 22:02:18 PT
The world still likes the amerikan people
They just don't like our gov't. However: If 70% of the knuckleheads in amerika support this bozo cowboy, how long can we continue to distance ourselves from the governments' hatred and abuse?
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Comment #31 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 22:00:20 PT
One More Thing
Bush Senior said he hates Saddam. I was taught that you should never say you hate anyone. The only thing hate hurts is the one who hates. How did we get two haters as president?
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Comment #30 posted by DANA on September 21, 2002 at 22:00:06 PT
Excerpts #2
Copied from the Administrations statement.09/20/2002__________
" In pursuit of our goals, our first imperative is to clarify what we stand
for: the United States must defend liberty and justice because these
principles are right and true for all people everywhere. No nation owns
these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. Fathers and mothers
in all societies want their children to be educated and to live free from
poverty and violence. No people on earth yearn to be oppressed, aspire to
servitude, or eagerly await the midnight knock of the secret police. America must stand firmly for the nonnegotiable demands of human dignity:
the rule of law; limits on the absolute power of the state; free speech;
freedom of worship; equal justice; respect for women; religious and ethnic
tolerance; and respect for private property. These demands can be met in many ways. America's constitution has served us
well. Many other nations, with different histories and cultures, facing
different circumstances, have successfully incorporated these core
principles into their own systems of governance. History has not been kind
to those nations which ignored or flouted the rights and aspirations of
their people. Our own history is a long struggle to live up to our ideals. But even in
our worst moments, the principles enshrined in the Declaration of
Independence were there to guide us. As a result, America is not just a
stronger, but is a freer and more just society.
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Comment #29 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 21:55:50 PT
BGreen
If he goes ahead and by passes the UN then we will be sitting ducks and we know how bad 9-11 was but that could be nothing if they started attacking different important areas in our country. I don't worry much for me because I am very rural but people near Nuclear Plants and Chemical Plants or Bio Hazard Facilities I'd be very concerned. So many countries hate us and that would give them a green light to get even for whatever they feel we've done. If I lived in another country I'd be terrified of the USA now.
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Comment #28 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 21:51:26 PT
Corrected paragraph
Bush said we're going to do what he wants regardless of what the UN says. He wants the UN to support him or else they're "impotent" and will go the way of the "League of Nations."
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Comment #27 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 21:49:54 PT
That's what I was thinking, FoM
When I heard Bush say Saddam had to be eliminated because he was crazy and had weapons of mass destruction I thought "If that ain't the pot calling the kettle black."If we do this to Iraq and the UN thinks Bush is crazy, will other countries attack us?Bush said we're going to do what he wants regardless of what the UN says. He wants the UN to support him or else their "impotent" and will go the way of the "League of Nations."Bush truly believes he is King of The World and answers to no one. He's incredibly dangerous, so what's stopping our country from being attacked?
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 21:38:10 PT
One More Time - Practice Makes Perfect They Say
Analysts: New Strategy Courts Unseen Dangers First Strike Could Be Precedent for Other Nations By Peter Slevin,Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, September 22, 2002; Page A01 The Bush administration's declared willingness to attack potential enemies before they strike represents a new chapter in strategic doctrine that heightens the danger of unintended consequences and raises the pressure on the U.S. national security system to get things right the first time, military and diplomatic analysts say.Made official on Friday, the dramatic change in the decades-old strategy of deterrence and containment puts an option into play that could be effective against rogue states, according to experts. But they warned that the shift to preemption also risks establishing a precedent for countries whose motives or timing the U.S. government may not support.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49533-2002Sep21.html
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Comment #25 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 21:36:20 PT
No News To Post But This is Not Good
Analysts: New Strategy Courts Unseen Dangers First Strike Could Be Precedent for Other Nations
By Peter Slevin,Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 22, 2002; Page A01 The Bush administration's declared willingness to attack potential enemies before they strike represents a new chapter in strategic doctrine that heightens the danger of unintended consequences and raises the pressure on the U.S. national security system to get things right the first time, military and diplomatic analysts say.Made official on Friday, the dramatic change in the decades-old strategy of deterrence and containment puts an option into play that could be effective against rogue states, according to experts. But they warned that the shift to preemption also risks establishing a precedent for countries whose motives or timing the U.S. government may not support.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49533-2002Sep21.html
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Comment #24 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 21:30:47 PT
Nobody told me there was going to be a test
I would have studied harder. LOLOn a serious note, Bush said he supported state's rights before the election and changed his mind. Canada's prime minister supported legalization before he was elected, but where is he now when the battle is heating up?We have recorded evidence of promises made by politicians. Why don't we hold them accountable?
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Comment #23 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 21:23:01 PT
One More Test
Jean Chretien helped launch an initiative to radically reform marijuana laws when he was justice minister in 1981, newly released records show. Cabinet documents from the government of then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau show that Chretien pressed cabinet to lower fines, reduce jail sentences and eliminate the criminal records of Canadians convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana. Chretien also tabled a discussion paper at cabinet that, among other things, raised the possibility of legalizing marijuana. "Legalization and any regulation of cannabis production, distribution and use would likely reduce some of the adverse consequences of using the criminal law in this area," says the Jan. 23, 1981, paper.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #22 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 21:10:08 PT
Just a test
Decriminalizing Pot: Why Stop There?
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13493.shtmlPot Laws Could Be Eased, Cauchon Says
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13427.shtml
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #21 posted by CongressmanSuet on September 21, 2002 at 20:01:07 PT
I think you got it Jose...
One of the best paradoy sites I have seen . Very up to date, well worth a visit, as is[as most of us know] GWBush.com and Truthout.com, Indymedia .org and Narconews.com are also excellent informative sites we all need to visit if we havent allready. And Jose, thank you for your posts, they are very informative and the links are great. In all this time I have been here, I cant ever remember anyone thanking you for your contribution. Thank You.
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Comment #20 posted by DdC on September 21, 2002 at 19:50:48 PT
Have You Seen This Terrorist? Call Tips!
http://www.pieman.org/terrorist.jpg PM Says No To Looser Drug Laws
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread9895.shtml PM Puppet
http://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/36/36842.gif
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Comment #19 posted by Jose Melendez on September 21, 2002 at 19:23:14 PT
easy enough to figure out...
http://whitehouse.org/
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Comment #18 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 18:59:16 PT
From our end it was confusing
The two of you knew what was going on, but the omission of the name of the deleted website along with Had Enoughs' use of words like "trick" and "damage" gave the impression that there was something dangerous about the website, and, if that's the case, we'd all like to know which websites to avoid and why.
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 18:51:36 PT
BGreen
It isn't secretive. Hard Enough asked me to remove the posts and I did.
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Comment #16 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 18:31:42 PT
Why is this all sounding so secretive?
I've been confused by this parody website before, so why don't we just tell everybody what it is? There is a parody page of the White House. It's not secretive or covert, it's a joke. There's no reason this website can't inform the readers, regardless of two or three complainers who have put everybody on edge. The .org versus .gov was the clue for me, but everybody should be privy to this information.
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 18:06:31 PT
Had Enough
It's hard sometimes. It's a darned if you do or darned if you don't situation. Thank you because leaving them probably is best.
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Comment #14 posted by Had Enough on September 21, 2002 at 17:51:35 PT
FoM
It's your call. If you wish to leave them go ahead. I can see where it will make your life easier. Thanks again
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 17:47:01 PT
Had Enough
Why don't we leave them because people will wonder why all the posts were deleted and then they will understand I didn't go on a deleting rampage or something. I saw a news article one time that looked like it came from CNN but it really didn't. It's good to know these things.
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Comment #12 posted by Had Enough on September 21, 2002 at 17:33:51 PT
FoM
I looked at the website address but the .gov & .org did not click. Afterwards I went to the real website and relized the difference thats when I replied right away. I wish to thank you again for the help. Go ahead and delete all my posts in this thread. It is getting filled with unnessesary messages from this goof. Thanks again.
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 17:18:40 PT
Had Enough
Please don't feel stupid. I know that feeling stupid happens to us all. I sure have my fair share of stupid times. Never grew out of them. Bummer but the way it is. The Internet makes us look closer because some things we see aren't what they really are. I first looked at the site and it was a .org not a .gov and then I went to goggle and ask for the url with a .org and got it was a parody. Google makes me seem smart but it really isn't so.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 17:12:01 PT
BGreen
Now Now Now would like me to make it 6! I'm only kidding.lol! Yes they need to legalize cannabis. Sorry for the spacing problem. I'm sure Matt will get it fixed as soon as time allows.
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Comment #9 posted by Had Enough on September 21, 2002 at 17:10:44 PT
Feeling Funny
I feel pretty stupid for not being able to catch that before I posted it. However with your help it was removed before more damage could be spread farther. I cannot support that kind of actions.
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Comment #8 posted by BGreen on September 21, 2002 at 17:08:40 PT
5 missing posts and I wasn't even involved. LOL
Canada MUST force its gov't to legalize cannabis. Don't let them act like the US and lie, cheat and steal their way out of this.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on September 21, 2002 at 16:56:31 PT
No Problem
We sure do live and learn. That's why we get gray hair! LOL!
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Comment #6 posted by Had Enough on September 21, 2002 at 16:54:15 PT
FoM
Thank You. I will try not to fall for that trick again. We live & learn.
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