Canada To Legalize Weed On July 10th?

[Wiggs Dannyboy]

Just bumped into this little ditty while reading up on the news. Quite exciting, eh? Wonder if the govt will let this happen, or fix the stupid laws?


Here is the link to the article:


http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/canada/110418/pot-medical-marijuana-legal

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Here is the first part of the article:


TORONTO, Canada — Pot lovers are dreaming of July 10, the day Canada’s dope laws go up in smoke.
An Ontario judge has struck down key aspects of Canada’s marijuana laws, triggering a 90-day countdown when growing, possessing or smoking pot will become legal.

The April 11 court ruling gives the federal government three months to either reform the laws or appeal the ruling to a higher court.

At issue is a 2001 law that allows seriously ill Canadians to access marijuana for medicinal purposes. But Justice Donald Taliano found that the vast majority of doctors refuse to prescribe the drug. Patients are therefore forced to break the law, either by growing their own or buying it on the black market.

“Seriously ill persons who need marihuana to treat their symptoms are forced to choose between their health and their liberty,” Taliano, of the Ontario Superior Court, wrote in his ruling. “If they choose their health, they must go to significant lengths to obtain the marihuana they need, including lengthy trips to purchase the drug, resort to the black market and living with the constant stress that at any time they could be subject to criminal prosecution,” the judge added.

These barriers to legal access, Taliano ruled, violate the constitutional right of seriously ill people to use marijuana if it helps relieve their symptoms. He therefore struck down the 2001 Marihuana Medical Access Regulations. He also struck down sections of another law that prohibit the possession or growing of marijuana, since they could be used to prosecute patients forced to break the law to relieve their symptoms. The result is that anyone — whether seriously ill or not — will be free to smoke and grow pot in 90 days, which is the amount of time Taliano gave the government to fix the laws.

Link to the full article: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/canada/110418/pot-medical-marijuana-legal

 

[BeardedClam]

would be nice, don't hold your breath longer than need to get a buzz

 

[Wiggs Dannyboy]

You're probably right, definitely won't be holding my breath.

Interesting situation, though, that a bad law can be retired without any politician having to take a stand on the issue. I believe there have been similar scenarios in the past, in US govt law, where a bad law has been allowed to quietly go away without a vote being taken.

 

[igrowone]

this is hopeful, very curious what will come of it
the stakes are high, conceivably Canada becomes the 2nd California with MMJ
of course that's the best case, but could be a nice step forward

 

[GuerrillaG]

first s10 gets dropped now this. interesting. I'll be keeping an eye on this. I hope Harper gets the boot so this thing at least has a fighting chance.

not that it does haha

 

[rafterman]

Canadian Federal Government appeals pot ruling that could legalize possession.

Canadian Federal Government appeals pot ruling that could legalize possession.

Ha ha ha crossing my fingers that the appeal court will see the light.

TORONTO — The federal government is appealing an Ontario court ruling that, if left to stand, could make the possession of marijuana legal.

The appeal states that a judge made critical errors in law in his April 11th ruling declaring the federal medical marijuana program unconstitutional.

Justice Donald Taliano ordered Ottawa to fix the program by July or face the prospect of effectively legalizing pot.

The case involves 37-year-old Matthew Mernagh of St. Catharines.

He suffers from various ailments and despite going to numerous doctors, he was unable to obtain a licence to legally buy and use medical marijuana.

Mernagh began growing his own pot and was eventually charged with producing the drug.

Taliano says sick people who cannot get access to medical marijuana and must resort to illegal actions such as growing their own supply.

As a result, said Taliano, sick people who should be able to get the drugs are branded as criminals.

 

[Cfman1969]

NJ

NJ

As of 2011's 420 I have decided that an effective treatment option, in cooroperation with massive mounts of Pills taken for CYSTIC fibrosis and now transplant meds, diabetes ect should be coupled with Cannabinoil. In short my aim is not merely get hi but get well, or as close as I can get to that end. Will see my transplant doctor for a double lung transplant that was performed 10.5 years agoand I'm still very much alive in the world.

 

[denmaster]

Bill S-10 has NOT been dropped...in fact it has passed second reading because its a SENATE bill - meaning they do not require or request input or discussion from any elected members or Canadian citizens and they could sneak it into a last minute session of the house to get it pushed through...something I strongly suspect Stephen Harper has been planning - as he appointed several of his own friends into senate positions just prior to his sudden push for mandatory minimums....need to have bodies for his planned prisons...If Harper gets a majority in this election he has promised to push through ALL their law bills within 100 days...garaunteeing this judges decision will have been for naught with respect to our hopes...

peace out

 

[micro420guy]

All Canadians get to the polling stations ASAP. Boot Darth Harper out today.

 

[pearlemae]

It appears that Harper won, and also won a conservative majority. Things don't look good for our northern neighbors. Looks like a hard swing to the right is instore for the Northland.

 

[TommytheCat]

Good luck Canadian brothers + sisters. Fingers crossed, and prayers are with you all.

 

[zen_trikester]

Hey, if this sticks I'm defecting. I'm loading up the kayak and going across the boundary waters like a boat people!

 

[outinit]

Best of luck Canada!!!

 

[revcold]

the us gov will do whatever they can to stop this..

 

[turbolaser4528]

exciting!

 

[Ironeek]

Good news.
Big change since the impending S10 bill was put 2 rest.

 

[budlover123]

What incentives do doctors have to prescribe MJ, a plant that someone can potentially grow, over the pills that they make big bucks on and get lunch every Friday catered, courtesy of the drug makers?

This is why medicine and capatalism are so damn ugly together.

Aren't there natural cancer remedies that modern medicine more or less disregard because they can't make the right kind of money with natural?

Doctors disregard weed for financial reasons, and politicians say doctors don't think it has medical value, in reality it doesn't have enough profitability for doctors.

I'd imagine most doctors would have a pretty negative view of MJ, it would just make things nice and justified. It's easier to accept popular lies than to just lie to yourself.

I personally believe the weed aids natural, instinctual healing of the body and mind. So it may not work for everyone the same way, but what is with all the laws. What kind of anti-weed laws existed in Canada, like prior to the American prohibition?

 

[Campfire]

I think the planet would be a far better place w/o money, period. Someone needs something, someone else provides it, free - and you'd get reciprocal actions from everyone, for everyone. But that's just a hippie pipe-dream I guess - still better than the gut-your-neighbor system of human interaction we've created for ourselves in our never-sated quest for the spoils of greed.
Love-your-neighbor? Who said that??... ah, wtf did he know, anyway, longhaired hippie slacker...

 

[zen_trikester]

What incentives do doctors have to prescribe MJ, a plant that someone can potentially grow, over the pills that they make big bucks on and get lunch every Friday catered, courtesy of the drug makers?

This is why medicine and capatalism are so damn ugly together.

Aren't there natural cancer remedies that modern medicine more or less disregard because they can't make the right kind of money with natural?

Doctors disregard weed for financial reasons, and politicians say doctors don't think it has medical value, in reality it doesn't have enough profitability for doctors.

I'd imagine most doctors would have a pretty negative view of MJ, it would just make things nice and justified. It's easier to accept popular lies than to just lie to yourself.

I personally believe the weed aids natural, instinctual healing of the body and mind. So it may not work for everyone the same way, but what is with all the laws. What kind of anti-weed laws existed in Canada, like prior to the American prohibition?

Ahhh, and here in lies the big dilema. People aren't going to med school for fun, or to help people, or to realize their true potential. They are going through med school to make bank. Maybe it starts out more sincere, but after a couple years as an unpaid intern I promise you, they are thinking of the paychecks to come. How can it be any other way? If you want the smartest and most dedicated people to be our doctors, you have to wave the carrot.

The reason that we Americans have nearly the best of everything is because of that carrot. Think of how many mechanical, scientific, medical, industrial, technological, sports or entertainment innovations have been born on this soil? Why? Because if it is something that people want or need, you get paid for it... period. This is how capitalism is supposed to work. Those who can sell the most, get the most.

You are right in what you said though.. medicine and capitalism are hard to get right together. This is why you see the nurses all for it and the most powerful doctors saying no. Big pharma has a lot of power. When it is enough to stop the proliferation of a beneficial natural substance, that is indeed a sad thing. Of course big pharma has its allies in that fight!

What it comes down to is the overall individual attitudes about accumulation of wealth and material objects vs personal morals. As humans we have the ability to trick ourselves into believing we are doing the right thing when we aren't. I think there is a whole lot of that going on since 9-11. Maybe some sort of a moral-sacrificing survival mechanism. I see it here at IC just as much as I do in big business or politics too (not implying this thread). It is almost funny how some people bitch about the evils of the world, and then use those same evils to justify their own actions!

It all starts with a individual feeling they got burned by someone else, and then that individual adopts the "This guy did it to me" attitude and perpetuates the behavior. Pretty soon everyone is screwing everyone, and BAM welcome to the 21st century! The whole "gotta get whats mine" attitude is fucking this world up because it breeds deceit and pushes the balance of $/power over to those with the lowest moral structure.

And there you have it! the worlds problem in a nutshell! Seriously though, if we don't want to continue, we need to reverse this tide and each remember our own personal morals when we make decisions instead of using the morals of someone else.

 

[trichrider]

i'm lacking morals and i'm poor as fuck???

just exactly how does that work, 'cause my stomach is growling...