This one's a little bit strange. First it was reported that the police said the legalization of pot will not remove organized crime from the industry which is true and makes sense. Yet the Toronto Star is reporting that the police made several other statements to parliament opposing the bill that require comment. The police want the government to delay the legalization of pot.
I can understand the need to train officers in roadside sobriety checks regarding pot. The other concerns are in fact concerning as in they over reach. "The police also want Ottawa to reconsider allowing individuals to grow up to four of their own marijuana plants because it will be difficult and expensive to enforce and provide an additional way for young people to get access to pot. “Why do you need home grows when we’re going to have a good system to access marijuana legally?” asked Barnum." What on earth has that got to do with the police?
That pretty much defines the public's concern with the current policy. Locking people in jail for growing a couple of pot plants is a waste of time and money. It clogs up the court system. Gumby getting released from massive drug charges in Montreal over court delays is a prime example of why our court system needs to change. The police's role is to enforce the law not create the law. The public the police are paid to protect create the law.
The Toronto Star article states "While legalization of recreational pot will lighten their workload - there were 16,000 charges laid for simple possession in 2016" which again defines the problem. If the Trudeau government was elected on the campaign promise to legalize pot and that plan is in the works, why are the police still laying charges for simple possession of pot? That is a complete waste of time and money. The police enforce the law they don't create the law.
This brings us to the current insanity regarding pot dispensaries. Knowing that pot is in the process of being legalized, the Vancouver City hall has launched a campaign trying to shut down all the independent pot dispensaries. The next question we are forced to ask is why?
The only way to break organized crime's monopoly on the industry is to let individuals grow their own and let individual dispensaries continue. Since I can't stand pot myself, I much rather have pot sold in dispensaries than in the liquor stores or supermarkets. As long as it's sold in dispensaries, I don't have to see it or be a part of it.
I agree the minimum age should be 19 not 18 just like for alcohol. Adolescents shouldn't smoke pot as it affects their brains development. Pot is not nearly as bad as crack or meth but pot is not good for you just like cigarettes. THC and CBD are two different things.
The Vancouver Sun reported that "The High Hopes Foundation cannabis dispensary in Vancouver aims to use cannabis to help drug users reduce their dependency on powerful opioids such as heroin and fentanyl." This makes sense. Lethal injection sites do not.
As for organized crimes involving in the industry, if the Hells Angels want to sell pot who cares? Let them. Pot is not the problem, crack, crystal meth and fentanyl is. It's like the black market cigarette industry back east. Who cares? Tax evasion does not affect public peace. Hard drugs do. If pot can be used to help people get off hard drugs then more power to them.
it does seem strange that the police are not asking for things to be postponed etc. Might be that they thought it was a good idea to legalize it at the time, but now that it is happening, it might be that they won't be able to meet their stats for arrests, etc. if pot is legalized.
ReplyDeleteHaving people be able to grow their own pot is important, because its expensive to buy. If you need pot or want it, growing it is the least expensive way of sourcing it. You are also guaranteed the quality you want. half a dozen plants a grow up does not make. its like house plants.