Ottawa, Ontario: Parliament is scheduled to adjourn without approving legislation that would have made marijuana possession a fine only offense, The Globe and Mail has reported. Similar legislation introduced last year in Parliament also failed to receive a final vote in the House of Commons, despite having the support of then-Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
This year’s proposal, Bill C-10, “was repeatedly placed at or near the bottom of the list of bills to be debated, dragging out its progress through the Commons,” The Globe and Mail reported. If passed, the proposal would have reduced penalties on the possession and use of up to 15 grams (about half an ounce) of cannabis to a ticketable offense.
Representatives from the Bush administration lobbied vociferously against the legislation.
“It’s a shame that Parliament has once again let ‘Reefer Madness’ get in the way of sound policy-making,” NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. “Both the Senate and House select committees previously determined unequivocally that criminal consequences for the possession of marijuana by adults are disproportionate to any potential harms associated with its responsible use. Parliament would be best to defer to their recommendation rather than the unfounded concerns of prohibitionists.”
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of the NORML Foundation at (202) 483-5500.