cannabisnews.com: Support Grows for Legalizing Marijuana Support Grows for Legalizing Marijuana Posted by FoM on May 22, 2001 at 13:07:39 PT By Bob Harvey, The Ottawa Citizen Source: Ottawa Citizen Almost half of Canadians believe marijuana should be legal, a new national survey finds. The survey conducted by University of Lethbridge sociologist Reg Bibby shows a shift in public opinion in the past five years, with 47 per cent of Canadians now favouring the drug's legalization. About 30 per cent of Canadians favoured legalization between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s. The survey results follow closely on other indications that Canada may be ready to copy the Netherlands and become the second country in the world to legalize the use of the drug. Last week, the House of Commons created a committee to examine the use of non-medical drugs, and members of all five parties, including Justice Minister Anne McLellan, said they see it as a chance to debate the use of marijuana. The Canadian Medical Association Journal also argued in a recent editorial that the negative effects of marijuana are minimal and use of the drug should be decriminalized. "A growing number of Canadians of all ages simply do not see marijuana in negative terms, viewing it probably as less harmful than cigarettes and definitely less harmful than alcohol," Mr. Bibby said. He has been monitoring social trends in Canada since 1975 and said that today just 34 per cent of Canadians think drugs represent a "very serious problem." His two latest surveys were completed late last year, and the results are considered accurate within three percentage points 19 times out of 20. "These findings point to a country that is almost evenly divided. The lines are being drawn for a hotly contested debate," said Mr. Bibby. He said 50 per cent of Canadians aged 15 to 19 favour the legalization of marijuana, and 37 per cent of teens use marijuana, twice the level reported by teens in the early 1980s and '90s. In the 1970s, 40 per cent of baby boomers supported the legalization of marijuana use. Support for legalization of marijuana is highest in British Columbia (56 per cent), among supporters of the Bloc Quebecois (64 per cent) and New Democrats (61 per cent), university graduates (56 per cent), and 18- to 34-year-olds (58 per cent). The party platforms of both the Bloc and the NDP support legalization. Among Liberal and Alliance party supporters, about five in 10 support legalization, but only three in 10 Conservative party supporters back legalization. Opposition to marijuana use is greater among people actively involved in religious groups, particularly among conservative Protestants -- only 28 per cent support legalization. But Mr. Bibby said even here there has been a dramatic change. In 1975, 15 per cent of those who attended worship services weekly approved legalization; last year, 44 per cent of those attending weekly approved legalization, with the greatest support coming from mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics outside of Quebec. Note: 5 years ago, one-third of Canadians favoured making drug legal; today about half do.Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)Author: Bob Harvey, The Ottawa CitizenPublished: Tuesday 22 May 2001 Copyright: 2001 The Ottawa CitizenContact: letters thecitizen.southam.ca Website: http://www.ottawacitizen.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Canadian Medical Association Journalhttp://www.cma.ca/cmaj/Minister Quite Open To Marijuana Debate http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9790.shtmlMedical Journal: Decriminalize Marijuana Usehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9729.shtml CannabisNews Articles - Canadahttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=canada END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by Lehder on May 24, 2001 at 07:54:51 PT I'm not a Canadian Yet, but I'm lookin into it. My understanding is that the Canadians recently passed legislation providing for the production and distribution of medical cannabis for the ill. If I remember right, that new law was reported on here at cnews, and its passage, I thought, is all that was needed to keep the rest of the old anti laws in force beyond the 1-year deadline ( ending this July or August ) and forever more.maybe someone can retireve the article somewhere here recently? [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by kaptinemo on May 24, 2001 at 06:35:21 PT: Hey, Canucks! Please pardon this ol' wanker's ignorance, but what effect will the formation of this committee have on the Ontario Court's ruling last year that mandates some sensible laws be formed...or all the present MJ laws get thrown out? Is this a bald-faced delaying tactic? Your opinions, please. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by dddd on May 23, 2001 at 07:44:21 PT patio furniture When I hear you talk about summer Kap,,,,it reminds meof a year or so back,you said something about,,,'get outthe lawn chairs,it's going to be a long,hot,summer'....I think this summer promises to be a real dilly.,,,of course,,,,,as the years drift by,,it always seems like in each year,we are on the verge of astonishing events,,,,but I think that thisyear is shaping up to be especially unique and strange.....Igotta fix my lawn chair....dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on May 23, 2001 at 07:05:22 PT: I'm waiting for the backlash A couple years ago, there was actually some serious talk in the US State Department about Canada being put on the 'paraiah list', because of the influx of all that great BC-Bud, as a rogue or drug-producing nation that won't 'play ball' with the nut-cases in Foggy Bottom.Can you imagine it? Canada on the s**t-list, alongside Afghanistan or Burma? Is this rank insanity, or what?So now, I suppose we can expect to hear more hysterical gibbering from the pin-stripe, martini-and-war-plans set about the direction Canada seems to be moving.But as Richard Cowan so succinctly puts it, Canada is 'too White to invade, and too close to ignore.' This is really going to prove to be an interesting summer. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by greenfox on May 23, 2001 at 06:45:00 PT Is this actually happening? This is truly mind-blowing, to say the least. I never expected to see something like this happen in my lifetime. It goes to show than even sly foxes can be wrong, some of the time. ;)sly in green, foxy in kind.-greenfox [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Rambler on May 23, 2001 at 04:48:14 PT "Molsons or Marijuana" LaBatts or LaBudds.Indeed,it would be nice to see our northern neighbors actually legalize Marijuana.I like to imagine how wonderfully akward this would be for the Amerikan regime.They would have to walk the fine line of delicatly disagreeing,and cautiosly denouncing the fine Canadians,and simultaneously trying to do major damage control to their agenda down here in the states.I can hardly wait. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on May 23, 2001 at 04:30:11 PT: The antis grip is slipping Remember when the US got pitched off the UN Narcotics Control Board? Yours truly had mentioned that there was a good possibility that with the US absent from the proceedings, the other nations would begin to explore much more sensible alternatives to Uncle's King Lear-like mania about weeds and flowers. This looks like a good example of that. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by freedom fighter on May 22, 2001 at 20:28:21 PT GoGoGo North! Come July,,Free the herb!Need I say more?\/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on May 22, 2001 at 18:24:33 PT Up North The anti's are wetting in their pants right about now. I'd imagine they're trying to figure out how to spin this, but they don't have enough brain power to do that.Like I said before, drug warriors get your resume paper ready. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on May 22, 2001 at 13:23:40 PT: Second Country? I've heard of "Second City" as Toronto, but Second Country? How about 15th after most of Western Europe?N'importe. What is important is that Canada is allowing rationality in the face of a rabid dog on its southern flank. May the Great White North Prevail in their quest to allow legalization. We may then ask the questions:Molson's or marijuana?Cannabis or Cabernet?Chaque a son gout, good buddies, eh? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: