Ottawa- Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops – Thompson – Cariboo, challenged the Liberals legislation that will legalize marijuana.
“This legislation won’t keep pot out of the hands of kids, it is a promise to pot smokers and not parents,” said McLeod. “Unlike the Liberals, the Conservative Party of Canada has adopted the same approach as the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, to make minor marijuana possession a ticketable offence.”
“One of the main reasons the Liberals claim legalization is necessary is because Canada's youth are smoking more pot than ever,” said McLeod. “This isn't true. In fact, programs to encourage kids to stop using marijuana have been working. The Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse says that for youth ages 15-24, marijuana use has dropped from 33 per cent to 24 per cent.”
“Further, the proposed age of possession of 18 goes against the Canadian Medical Association evidence which shows the brain is still undergoing major development up until the mid-twenties and marijuana can interfere with this development,” stated McLeod.
The list of unanswered questions grows as you study this legislation:
How will it make it safe for kids? How will it make it safe for motorists? How will it make it safe for workplaces?
What are the costs of legalization? Does the federal government have a plan to work with municipalities and provinces, or will it just download all the responsibility for implementation and enforcement to them?
How will the issue of roadside testing be addressed and what direction is being given to police forces across the country to deal with marijuana possession and driving?
Is legalization really going to take the criminal element out of pot sales?
“I will continue to raise serious questions as Justin Trudeau's plan to bring pot to corner stores across Canada moves forward,” concluded McLeod.