Canadian Justice Minister Says Marijuana 'Currency' Used To Import Harder Drugs
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson says people who sell or grow marijuana belong in jail.Canada's justice minister says people who sell or grow marijuana belong in jail because pot is used as a "currency" to bring harder drugs into the country.
"This lubricates the business and that makes me nervous," Rob Nicholson told the Commons justice committee Wednesday as he faced tough questions about a controversial bill to impose automatic jail and prison sentences for drug crimes, including growing as little as one pot plant.
"Marijuana is the currency that is used to bring other more serious drugs into the country."
Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act currently contains no mandatory prison sentences and judges use their own discretion about whether to send drug pushers and growers to jail.
But the Conservatives have proposed legislation which would impose one-year mandatory jail time for marijuana dealing, when it is linked to organized crime or a weapon is involved.
The sentence would be increased to two years for dealing drugs such as cocaine, heroin or methamphetamines to young people, or pushing drugs near a school or other places frequented by youths.
The proposed legislation would impose six months for growing one to 200 marijuana plants to sell, and two years for big-time growers of 500 plants or more.
The bill is arguably the most controversial piece of justice legislation introduced by the Conservative and critics have warned that, if passed, it could flood prisons and jails.
Opposition critics voiced concerns Wednesday that a crackdown would not only target big-time dealers, but it would end up sending drug addicts to provincial prisons, which have no few treatment programs in place.
New Democrat Libby Davies repeatedly grilled Nicholson on whether he has any evidence that minimum mandatory jail terms reduce crime. Davies cited studies prepared for the Justice Department several years ago showing that automatically jailing drug criminals does nothing to deter crime, as has been shown in the United States.
"Many States are repealing their mandatory minimums," Davies said.
Nicholson declined to supply any evidence to the contrary, but he insisted that "we are absolutely convinced in our consultation with Canadians that this is welcomed across the country."
There are already more than two dozen minimum prison terms in the Criminal Code, mainly for murder and offences involving firearms.
Nicholson also faced questioning from the Bloc Quebecois on why the Conservatives want to impose minimum jail terms for marijuana, when many of the people who sell it and grow it are small-time criminals.
The move to jail pot pushers and growers "sends a strong message" that is a far cry from an initiative of the former Liberal government to decriminalize marijuana possession, Nicholson said.
As a result of the Liberal actions, Canadians remain confused about the legal status of smoking marijuana, he said.
Nicholson's bill, introduced two months ago, is similar to one the Conservatives tabled in late 2007, which died when the Oct. 14 general election was called.
- Article from CanWest News on April 22, 2009.











you know this bill is trash if even the bloc are against it
wow i never thaught id agree with the bloc on something. It just goes to show u what a peice of trash this bill is. imagine all the small time growers who grow for themselves and maybe a few friends in jail, It would break the courts and force everybody to by from gangs which no real pot smoker wants to do, most pot smokers would like to see the end of these horrible gangs. this turd of a bill will only make them stronger.
Canadians... Welcome to
Canadians... Welcome to America(and our BS drug laws)
Write a Letter to the Editor!!!
http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0401.html
CANADA'S JUSTICE MINISTER ADVOCATES REEFER MADNESS
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DrugSense FOCUS Alert #401 - Thursday, 23 April 2009
Today Canadian newspapers are reporting that "Canada's justice minister says people who sell or grow marijuana belong in jail because pot is used as a "currency" to bring harder drugs into the country. "This lubricates the business and that makes me nervous," Rob Nicholson told the Commons justice committee yesterday as he faced tough questions about a controversial bill to impose automatic prison sentences for drug crimes, including growing as little as one pot plant. "Marijuana is the currency that is used to bring other more serious drugs into the country," the minister said."
Links to some of the newspaper articles are
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09.n454.a09.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09.n455.a01.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09.n455.a02.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09.n455.a04.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09.n455.a05.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09.n455.a06.html
News about marijuana from Canada may always be accessed at http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm
Letter to the editor writers from the United States should note that Canadian newspapers print your letters frequently.
For all the information about the bill, C-15, to include the text and major speeches in Parliament see http://drugsense.org/url/hwWsxW6O
Canadians who which to contact your Member of Parliament about this bill by using your Postal Code to obtain contact information see http://drugsense.org/url/nMP9kfsJ
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Prepared by: Richard Lake, Senior Editor www.mapinc.org
This makes me want to move
This makes me want to move to the states in the U.S. because I SOLD Cannabis BEFORE and I wasnt linked to any organized crime and I never had a firearm and I am NOT one of the Canadians that will welcome something like this into are country the Conservatives dont know what there talking about I cant wait intill the baby boomers are out of office and the new generation takes over im sick of Prime Minister
Harper he is so plain I dont even know how he was elected I hope Canada will follow some of the states in the U.S and loosen up on Cannabis Im not saying lets start selling crack to kids and sell herion like cigarettes in stores but lets at least try this with Cannabis because no one ever O.D. on Cannabis but people die from alcohol, prescribed pills and die slowly from cigarettes this is the 21st century so lets try something new Canada
Watch it with the baby boomers
I am a Pot somking baby boomer. I would like to see all drugs legal.
Aw jeez now I have to change my depends.
www.leap.cc
Gen-X R.N. here. I'll change
Gen-X R.N. here.
I'll change them for you then we'll smoke a fattie.
Nicolson and Harper can change each others since there both full of shit.
http://blueclueskit.mybrute.c
http://blueclueskit.mybrute.com
If Canadians want a Bush
If Canadians want a Bush type of goverment . Then keep voting conservative.Look up the meaning in the dictionary and you will see why they are a threat to freedom.Harper and his men and women need to be taken out of power.
Evidence to the contrary?
"..Nicholson declined to supply any evidence to the contrary, but he insisted that "we are absolutely convinced in our consultation with Canadians that this is welcomed across the country."
Nicholson makes a statement like that without offering any evidence to support it? Current Angus-Reid polls show that over 60% of Canadians would support the legalization of marijuana.
Clearly the Minister is gathering his 'facts' from fantasy land.
Harder drugs?!?!?!?
Stop targeting normal citizens that self medicate. And do not do hard drugs or import them, hell majority of us don't even use guns.
I swear we do not support violence nor endorse children or youths to do weed.
It's always gangs and mexican cartels doing this. Fucking up the economy. Even irresponsible adults teach children and youths how to smoke weed and violence.
The baby boomers in politics are saying go ahead 12 year old smoke up. It's wrong and stupid to imprison responsible tax paying citizens.
Prohibition only makes gangs, mexican cartels and other scum of the Earth stronger.
I DO NOT SUPPORT VIOLENCE, GANGS OR TERRORISTS!!! And USA with legalized guns man your all stupid in politics.
Conservatives why don't you rich scum...
...Go to Afghanistan instead and push these useless laws there instead losers!
I wish the conservative party goes to afghanistan and dies!!!! Including the piece of shit trying to push such dumb laws.
USA is only repealing the DEA raids on dispensaries in those 13 states ONLY! So you'll end up dead and arrested anyways in any other state!
FUCK OFF CONSERVATIVE POLITICS!!!
STOP HIRING THESE PRICKS FOR POLITICS
SERIOUSLY MORE HARM THEN GOOD COMES OF IT, LETTING LOSERS GET AWAY WITH KIDNAPPING CHILDREN!!!! AND MURDER PEOPLE AND THE KIDS!!!
CONSERVATIVES SUCK OBAMA'S COCK!!!
AND LOVE ANAL SEX FROM HIM!!!
And attacking responsible pot users that pay there taxes and work there asses off. FUCK YOU STEPHEN HARPER SUPPORTERS!!!!
manditory minimums
why in the hell are these dummies trying to pass these laws in canada when we here in the stases are on the verge of gettin rid of laws like these. the US has been repealing rockefeller drugs laws passing med pot right and left and seems due to the violence cauesed by prohabition on the verge of legalizing marijuana it seems goerge bush has moved to canada. canada get rid of these fools prohabition DON'T work
"why in the hell are these
"why in the hell are these dummies trying to pass these laws in canada when we here in the states are on the verge of gettin rid of laws like these."
I think you may have answered your own question there. In my opinion, this hard push to persecute and imprison peaceful, small-time cannabis-marijuana growers and consumers really seemed to begin in earnest once it was apparent that the American Conservatives were likely going to lose the election.
There is no fact or scientific basis to the reasoning behind this bill (C-15) - currently, a majority of Canadian citizens agree that cannabis-marijuana should be decriminalized, but Harper, Nicholson (er, it's not harmful - it's "currency"?!) and friends think that cultivating *one* plant should warrant you a mandatory six-months in prison...yes, let's turn an individuals life upside-down over a single, natural, non-addictive, non-carcinogenic plant - one that's considerably less harmful than beer. This Neo-Con crusade is all driven by the same type of stale, backwards ideology that most Americans rightly voted out in disgust.
Minimums
I used to think they were, but now I know they're really sick in the head! Did you see him in committee? He was just about begging for support! Why? Can you imagine the type of people who would beg for the right to punish others? Wow!
OverGrow the conservatives
I am 49 years old and I like smoking pot, I don't do other drugs, I do not drink, but if morons like this Rob Nicholson goof take peoples pot away how many will start drinking and/or move on to something harder, I likely will. How will Canada's health care system handle all the extra alcoholics and addicts? little bobby nicholson is a closed minded dinosaur and I would die before I would vote for the conservative party!
"Marijuana is the currency
"Marijuana is the currency that is used to bring other more serious drugs into the country."
What a fucking tool. As we all know, The only reason marijuana is worth so much is because of prohibition. The conservatives will say anything to try and terrorize Canadians over the drug issue. This is not about public safety it's about controlling the public. Legalize Now!
Fuck Harper and his NWO fascist agenda!
...because democracy is a hoax.
One poll after another shows that a majority of Canadians want marijuana legalized. That's why every level of government is cracking down on it. They have to demonstrate who's in control, while continuing to spew references to democracy and freedom for the sake theater. Here's the idea: dictators don't just want obedience, they want the public to pretend to agree as well as obey. When they say 4 = 5, or marijuana is harmful, or some other statement that everyone knows is false, they can tell who's intelligent enough, but also loyal and law abiding enough for a position of authority(those who know 4 doesn't equal 5, and that marijuana doesn't really cause any problem, but pretend it does), those who are intelligent enough but too independent, and therefore dangerous (those who know 4 doesn't equal 5 and won't pretend not to) and those who are too stupid for authority and also too stupid to be dangerous (those who honestly belive 4=5 or that marijuana is harmful).
People, Harper is NOT the
People, Harper is NOT the Prime Minister! He came close but didn't get the majority to actually WIN a mandated Conservative government. I don't know why he's even tabling this piece of crap Bill because he and his gang of morons aren't going to be around to pass it into law (I hope). If they were full-powered, I can guarantee this Bill would be passed by now and we'd all be walking a little more lightly. Maybe the 'sorry tories' are just trying to get it on paper in case they DO win a mandate in the future, or can get the next government to put it up for a vote. I don't think a Liberal government would - they seem to consider this issue a frivolous one - and I don't know WHAT the NDP would do under Layton, if by some miracle they won a majority government - Federally.
This is the craziest
This is the craziest argument to prop up the prohibition of marijuana I've ever heard yet (and I thought I'd heard them all)! C'mon! Canadian weed growers and dealers are risking crossing the border trading their shit - using it as "currency" - in the U.S. for heroin or meth or whatever... That's just completely insane.
One of the best offsets of
One of the best offsets of people growing their own weed, is that they're no longer supporting organized crime and gangs.
This fucker politican is right you know!!!!
Those drug dealers get HORNY AND ORDER VIAGRA FROM THAILAND.....NOW THERES A HARDON DRUG!
FUCK THESE BASTARDS LETS KEEP IT ILLEGAL AND OURS AND FUCK THE GOVERNMENTS......LETS TERRORIZE THEM WITH PAYING NO TAXES AND SMOKING ALL WE WANT....ITS EASY XCLUDE THEM TIL THEY FUCKING GROW UP....YOU HEAR ME OBAMA....GROW FUCKING UP!
The conservative party has
The conservative party has to be full of the most stupidest people on earth and have the most liars. I wish they would stop saying they speak for most canadians because they do not.
war
I predict war. every time the economy is crap theres a war just look at a history book. The rich elite who really control everything on the planet are the cause of and profitiers of wars. Just look at bush and his crew they bankrupt there own country while personally make billions( shares in halibuton no bide contracts etc.). keeping up the war on drugs equals kickbacks from big pharm tobacco and alcohol.) Harper and his crew know that a 3rd world war is comming soon so they want to put more ppl in jail. Why? because at first they'll offer to forget about prison time in exchange for army service then soon after it will be mandatory. all because of greed and the will to control ppl. The only bright side to this is that a 3rd world war will probably be the last one because it will trigger end times and these pig fuckers will be judged. like the black sabbath song goes hand of god has struck the hour, no more war pigs have the power, begging mercies for there sins satan laughing spreads his wing. ( just a theory, hope im wrong..
US DEA in
US DEA in Mexico,Columbia,and now this bull shit coming out of Canada with the war on drugs,is nothing more than a screen to hemisphere dominaion and control of the OIL..The US no longer has control of all the OIL in EUROPE(Russia),and China,Russia,Japan etc.. are making deals with S.American OIL rich countrys.....The US is using this bogus drug war to pay for it's bogus global OIL GRAB WAR....What use is new?......