cannabisnews.com: Activist Wants Pot Legalized, Not Decriminalized Activist Wants Pot Legalized, Not Decriminalized Posted by CN Staff on May 05, 2003 at 09:59:49 PT By CBC News Online Staff Source: CBC Vancouver - Three men set to challenge Canada's marijuana laws won't be satisfied with recent promises to decriminalize marijuana. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said last month that his government planned to introduce legislation that would make simple possession of pot a minor offence. Getting busted with a dime bag would become more like being pulled over for speeding – get a ticket and pay a fine. A move to decriminalize, but not legalize, marijuana isn't good enough for pot advocates. "It would still suggest that there is some offence, which would mean there's something offensive about what we're doing," said Randy Caine. The Langley, B.C., man has been challenging the federal dope laws for a decade, since he was arrested with a partially smoked joint. The Supreme Court of Canada is tentatively set to hear his arguments, as well as those of David Malmo-Levine of Vancouver and Chris Clay of London, Ont. They are all challenging their arrests on marijuana laws they say are unconstitutional. "It's the right of a consenting adult," Caine said. "I stress the word adult." The cases were supposed to be heard in December, but the court put off hearing the arguments when Justice Minister Martin Cauchon hinted marijuana would be decriminalized in a matter of months. Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Published: Monday, May 05, 2003 Copyright: 2003 CBCWebsite: http://www.cbc.ca/Contact: cbcinput toronto.cbc.caRelated Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmCanadian Prime Minister Promises Decrim http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16158.shtmlCanada's Marijuana Control is Going Up in Smokehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16152.shtmlSupreme Court Will Hear Marijuana-Law Challenge http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16129.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by WolfgangWylde on May 06, 2003 at 04:26:53 PT To Freedom Fighter... ...If Canada adopts first strike and you're out U.S.-style laws, it won't be pretty. And once Canadian LEOs get a taste of the riches of asset foreiture, they'll never give it up. The perverse thing about U.S. law is that EVERYBODY, cops included, gets to profit from the illegal drug trade. Drug dealers from the profits of sale, and law enforcement from the same profits as assets siezed. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Lehder on May 05, 2003 at 19:09:05 PT guns 'n drugs in the 51st state Wolfgang may well be right. Decriminalization of possession combined with super-criminalization of sale and cultivation will only serve to polarize Canadians and draw their society tight with tension.Canadian legislators ought to think about this because the result will not be marijuana smuggled southward, but guns and hard core criminals moving northward. *Trying to stop them could have a bad effect on your economy.* New opportunities and profits will be created for those tough enough and ruthless enough to take them. And there are always plenty of takers. They are not only the reformers who are being suckered by Uncle Sam, but the Canadian government as well. Welcome, Canada, to the U.S. of A. You'll become as we are. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by freedom fighter on May 05, 2003 at 18:43:27 PT Wolfgang, I happend to think no matter what the governments of this world have to say about cannabis, these poor folks just do not know that they have been OVERGROWN with cannabis.Someone once said 20 years that all we need to do is just overgrow the government. I find this issue about the border with an amusement because I would rather smoke my buds grown in my hood. Legalization is not a dirty word.pazff [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Lehder on May 05, 2003 at 12:43:02 PT we demand justice and truth Marc Emery's conditions for peace: 1. The immediate legalization of cannabis, and then as quickly as possible to all other herbs and entheogens. 2. That there be no legal or regulatory controls on who may cultivate and use cannabis. We will accept regulation and taxation only in regards to the commercial sale of cannabis products. 3. That any person imprisoned for any cannabis-related offense is to receive an immediate and unconditional pardon. All records of convictions for any cannabis-related offences are to be expunged and destroyed. 4. That restitution be paid to all victims of cannabis persecution. Compensation for property seized and a per-diem rate for time in jail should be paid out of tax revenue from the sale of cannabis products. 5. An official apology from the UN and world governments, that they acknowledge the war on cannabis and cannabis consumers was a vicious, murderous bigotry with no legitimate social or health concerns whatsoever. http://www.cannabisculture.com/cgi/article.cgi?num=1568 Remember, antis, it's your war. You declared war on us. These are the conditions for peace. Number 5 is especially important, because there's a lesson here that you must learn.By procrastinating your surrender and the recognition of our rights as citizens equal to you, you only make the price of your eventual defeat all the higher. You can insist on pursuing your bigotry and foolishness to the inevitable political and economic collapse of your society, but the price of your war cannot become any higher to those whose lives you have already destroyed. As you like it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Virgil on May 05, 2003 at 12:11:38 PT Legalization is the only acceptable reform The LaDain Commission and the Canadian Senate Report have said that legalization is the way to go. Of course they want a better world which is not relevant to prohibitionist thinking. The country is awash in corruption and lies to hide the corruption. The country is being run by criminals that need to make sure the jails are full less they find a home in the Big House. Cannabis is a dangerous drug my ass. Walters and Busch and their other fundamentalists nutcases are dangerous. Let's prohibit them a fantasy land where they are wonderful. It was the drug wars that suspended the 9th and 10th amendments that lead the way to the cut and paste of the Constitution's remnants we are reading about today. The nutcases like Bennett had 30 years to apply a heavy unconstitutional hand that gave us a police state with nothing else to show for it but a $6.5 trillion national debt. Who will profit from the drug rehab programs that are coming? The vultures wanting to feed at the public trough that will have to be happy with the bones of reason. July 9th will be 6 months for the Canadian government to get a workable MMJ program before the Ontario Supreme Court legalizes cannabis for everyone. Legalization will bring the logical conclusion to cannabis prohibition. Once it finds its freedom no one will listen to a prohibitionist-loving madman running around saying "Marijuana is a dangerous drug." Many of us don't listen to the madmen now and their media mouthpieces too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 05, 2003 at 11:34:08 PT Swampie I'm really sorry to read about your Dad. I'm glad you got moved ok. I don't know about the chats because I haven't been to one since the last time when I talked with you. Things have been busy in Canada and the Marches. William Bennett and his gambling have been an interesting twist. Tomorrow could be an important day in Canadian Marijuana history. Here are two links to help you catch up. I put the MMM articles on this page so you can scroll down a little and see the articles if you want.Bill Bennett's Bad Bet: The Bookmaker of Virtues: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16182.shtmlMillion Marijuana March New 2003: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/million.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by SWAMPIE on May 05, 2003 at 11:22:28 PT Give 'Em an Inch...... They'll take a mile....All they want to do is appease us because they know we have the power in our numbers now to do something about it.Why are they so scared of a little plant?If only they were forced to try it to make an informed decision,and maybe realize that cannabis won't hurt them....LEGALIZE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As an aside,FoM,what happened to the chat? Nobody has been there at either one for a few days.not even bot! We just got moved in alongside Dads' funeral,so it was very hectic last week.Lotsa catching up to do!LOL! I'll be at both this evening about 7:30 or so. ONWARDTHROUGHTHEFOG!!!!!! SWAMPIE [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 05, 2003 at 10:49:36 PT La La La La We Can't Hear You! The reality of the situation is our time has come. We are not criminals and neither is Cannabis. I don't gamble but if William Bennett wants to gamble I don't care. I want William Bennett and the world to know that what we do with our own lives should be our choice and that should be that. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by WolfgangWylde on May 05, 2003 at 10:41:12 PT A quick quote from... ...Saturday's Ottawa Citizen. I'm tellin' ya, Canadian acvitvists are being played for suckers."U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci suggested yesterday that Canada's plan to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana may not lead to border friction if the change includes tough penalties for criminal trafficking and cultivation." [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by WolfgangWylde on May 05, 2003 at 10:36:50 PT He's right... ...and it will take massive amounts of civil disobedience for it to happen. If Canada's decriminlization scheme goes through, they'll become more like the U.S. than ever before. Already, the U.S. ambassador to Canada is hinting that if they massively increase penalites for dealing and cultivation (to draconian U.S. levels), then the U.S. might just wink at the decrim. In short, they'll be just like America. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ron Bennett on May 05, 2003 at 10:21:11 PT Drop the semantics and just legalize it now! He's right on. Cannabis should be fully legalized - heck, it's only a plant, not a gun or anything; come to think of it, why is it that a young person can legally own a gun and hunt (aka shoot animals for fun; skinning them, etc too - healthy family fun?) and yet can't legally grow cannabis plants for any purpose.And cannabis is extremely safe as folks here know...if government really was concerned about so-called "dangerous" plants, then perhaps they start by going after all those various plants that contain extremely deadly levels of cyanide - yep, no need to buy it when nature makes it for free...and yet those plants are fully *legal* right now, but cannabis isn't...oh yeah, the drug war makes lots of sense...NOT!Ron Bennett http://www.marihemp.com/ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment