Canada's Liberal government promises to legalize marijuana

[rooster59]

Canada's Liberal government promises to legalize marijuana

CHARMAINE NORONHA, Associated Press


TORONTO (AP) — Canada's new Liberal government again promised Friday to legalize marijuana in a speech outlining its agenda as Parliament resumes after the Oct. 19 election.

A speech delivered by Gov. Gen. David Johnston reiterated new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to legalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana. It is a position Trudeau has held since becoming leader of the Liberal Party in 2013. However, for the first time, the government said it will restrict access to marijuana but did not elaborate.

Trudeau has said that legalizing marijuana would fix a "failed system" and help remove the "criminal element" linked to the drug. He also has said Canadians would benefit from analyzing the experiences of Colorado and Washington state, which recently legalized pot.

The speech also expanded on five themes that were central to the Liberals' election victory, which ended the near-decade-long Conservation Party's reign.

The speech reiterated Trudeau's pledge to cut the tax rate for middle-income earners and provide a more generous child benefit to those who need it, paid for by a tax hike on the wealthiest 1 percent.

It also promised significant new investment in infrastructure to boost Canada's stagnant economy.

Trudeau, who just returned from the climate conference in Paris, promised to continue working with provinces to put a price on carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and introduce a new environmental assessment process.

The speech also indicated that the new government would create a new relationship with aboriginal governments and people. It promised to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on residential schools, where aboriginal children were abused and stripped of their native culture and language between the 1880s and 1996, when the last school closed.

The government also promised to launch an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-12-05

[khwaibah]

I see a a major mass of illegal immigrants from the USA going to Canada.

[Rykbanlor]

I see a a major mass of illegal immigrants from the USA going to Canada.

Thats been going on for years already (healthcare)

[Colabamumbai]

With a letter from your doctor, you can buy pot online in Canada or at Kensigton Market in Toronto, it is all legal. Hash also available in Kensington Market, a number of shops have opened there in the past few months.

The American Government put pressure on Canada years ago not to legalize it, we could only decriminalize it then. They were afraid of Americans coming to Canada to buy it.

B.C. has been shipping it to the states for years.

[car720]

God bless Canada!

Thailand used to be great too. Too bad.

[bark]

I guess now the Hells Angels and 90 % of the Canadian Jamacians will need to find jobs; as

The CDN Government will put them out of business .

[silent]

I guess now the Hells Angels and 90 % of the Canadian Jamacians will need to find jobs; as

The CDN Government will put them out of business

Aren't they already making a movie on Thailand?

[Scott]

Troll posts and replies removed.

[gemguy]

I guess now the Hells Angels and 90 % of the Canadian Jamacians will need to find jobs; as

The CDN Government will put them out of business .

Hard to say if that will actually happen as they could easily enough be the first ones to set up "legal" fronts for their formally illegal drug trading enterprises.

The Government of Canada has yet to address the issue of who exactly will be able to cultivated and or supply the legal marijuana to the Canadian citizens so that the citizens are not criminalized in any way if and when they do buy the marijuana and consume it legally without fear of being criminalized.

Meantime...Where is the marijuana presently coming from and or where will the marijuana be coming from in the near future ????........ while only a fraction of it is being supplied at present by legitimate entrepreneurs and legitimate in all aspects because the Canadian Federal Government bodies and or the Provincial Government bodies have not yet formulated or formatted a plan for a fully legal supply chain to supply the citizens that would want to consume the now decriminalized recreational drug.

What would stop the Hells Angles and or any other well financed drug trafficking operations from being the first ones to step up and apply for and or set up legally registered large grow operations and hide the fact that they are funded by illegal money and owned in effect by criminal organizations that continue to sell other illegal narcotics and or continue to conduct other nefarious criminal activities.

If you think they will simply cease to continue profiting from a very profitable and lucrative enterprise that they have been conducting for say, 30 years or so because the laws change to legalize the drug then you are mistaken.

Even if they are not awarded the rights to cultivate and supply marijuana legally they will still be there to supply illegally by way of black markets that will inevitably evolve by way of the artificially sustained high prices of the legally obtained marijuana at retail levels.

Prices that do not reflect the actual costs of growing a plant that can be cultivated and sold for very cheap relative to the costs of growing a plant that flourishes on its own throughout history.......let alone being cultivated for profit.

Take a look at the illegal black markets for tobacco every where in the world and relate that to marijuana which could or probably will be sold in a similar way as the market and product marketing matures and evolves.

The criminal element will not go away...or certainly not the way people believe especially if the price of the product remains artificially high and or sustained by Taxes upon Taxes and or all the legitimate and or legal overhead costs and expenditures incurred to legally grow and operate are factored in relative to everything entailed to do it legally and accountable in all respects.

Any foreign grown marijuana from poverty stricken countries such as Cambodia ( or Thailand ) or where ever it can be gown for cheap could supply the same drug for far less and undercut the price of the legally supplied and taxed Marijuana.

Furthermore a notable percent of the marijuana consumers will be buying the illegally supplied marijuana if it is being sold at half the price of the legal marijuana....while the laws will not stop them as we all know the pot heads and lovers of marijuana have never been stopped by the laws nor have they ever feared the laws....so they will buy the lower price illegal marijuana if and when it is made available to them.

Not always and not everyone but hey...When your buddy tells you, you can get the same marijuana for half the price of the legal marijuana and no one is worried about the origins of the product ( Same as no one ever was worried and or will be worried about the origins of the product ) then guaranteed there is a lucrative and growing black market that will inevitably evolve while many of the law abiding citizens???..... will happily participate and sustain the continued illegal supply of a percent of the marijuana consumed in the now legal to consume marijuana market place.

This is what I predict will evolve....but yet to be proven wrong or correct....but lets us see what does develop as it is a move in the right direction, with out a doubt, concerning the legalization of the consumption of the recreational use drug called marijuana.

Cheers

Edited December 5, 2015 by gemguy

[Scott]

Off-topic post and reply removed.

[NeverSure]

I guess now the Hells Angels and 90 % of the Canadian Jamacians will need to find jobs; as

The CDN Government will put them out of business .

Hard to say if that will actually happen as they could easily enough be the first ones to set up "legal" fronts for their formally illegal drug trading enterprises.

The Government of Canada has yet to address the issue of who exactly will be able to cultivated and or supply the legal marijuana to the Canadian citizens so that the citizens are not criminalized in any way if and when they do buy the marijuana and consume it legally without fear of being criminalized.

Meantime...Where is the marijuana presently coming from and or where will the marijuana be coming from in the near future ????........ while only a fraction of it is being supplied at present by legitimate entrepreneurs and legitimate in all aspects because the Canadian Federal Government bodies and or the Provincial Government bodies have not yet formulated or formatted a plan for a fully legal supply chain to supply the citizens that would want to consume the now decriminalized recreational drug.

What would stop the Hells Angles and or any other well financed drug trafficking operations from being the first ones to step up and apply for and or set up legally registered large grow operations and hide the fact that they are funded by illegal money and owned in effect by criminal organizations that continue to sell other illegal narcotics and or continue to conduct other nefarious criminal activities.

If you think they will simply cease to continue profiting from a very profitable and lucrative enterprise that they have been conducting for say, 30 years or so because the laws change to legalize the drug then you are mistaken.

Even if they are not awarded the rights to cultivate and supply marijuana legally they will still be there to supply illegally by way of black markets that will inevitably evolve by way of the artificially sustained high prices of the legally obtained marijuana at retail levels.

Prices that do not reflect the actual costs of growing a plant that can be cultivated and sold for very cheap relative to the costs of growing a plant that flourishes on its own throughout history.......let alone being cultivated for profit.

Take a look at the illegal black markets for tobacco every where in the world and relate that to marijuana which could or probably will be sold in a similar way as the market and product marketing matures and evolves.

The criminal element will not go away...or certainly not the way people believe especially if the price of the product remains artificially high and or sustained by Taxes upon Taxes and or all the legitimate and or legal overhead costs and expenditures incurred to legally grow and operate are factored in relative to everything entailed to do it legally and accountable in all respects.

Any foreign grown marijuana from poverty stricken countries such as Cambodia ( or Thailand ) or where ever it can be gown for cheap could supply the same drug for far less and undercut the price of the legally supplied and taxed Marijuana.

Furthermore a notable percent of the marijuana consumers will be buying the illegally supplied marijuana if it is being sold at half the price of the legal marijuana....while the laws will not stop them as we all know the pot heads and lovers of marijuana have never been stopped by the laws nor have they ever feared the laws....so they will buy the lower price illegal marijuana if and when it is made available to them.

Not always and not everyone but hey...When your buddy tells you, you can get the same marijuana for half the price of the legal marijuana and no one is worried about the origins of the product ( Same as no one ever was worried and or will be worried about the origins of the product ) then guaranteed there is a lucrative and growing black market that will inevitably evolve while many of the law abiding citizens???..... will happily participate and sustain the continued illegal supply of a percent of the marijuana consumed in the now legal to consume marijuana market place.

This is what I predict will evolve....but yet to be proven wrong or correct....but lets us see what does develop as it is a move in the right direction, with out a doubt, concerning the legalization of the consumption of the recreational use drug called marijuana.

Cheers

With all due respect, I completely and totally disagree with you. I live in Oregon, USA where recreational pot is completely legal. It is so legal that stores have popped up that sell it to all comers. They sell equipment and supplies and even fresh baked cookies.

How can this not drive the price down and take out the big and illegal profits when anyone can grow it for his own use, or register to grow it for sale? The stores that sell it get it from legal growers and it is no longer expensive.

There is also a reasonable assurance of quality unlike buying in a back alley from a nefarious person. There is also a lack of the danger of dealing in back alleys not to mention worrying about criminal charges. When you remove the risk and greatly improve the supply and availability, how can the price not go down from competition?

I could legally plant my back yard full of pot and have a big supply. I don't see where there's any room left for the criminal gangs.

Cheers.

[PoorSucker]

[Harsh Jones]

The new PM is all talk. This will not happen. Neither will a few of his other grand promises.

[gemguy]

I guess now the Hells Angels and 90 % of the Canadian Jamacians will need to find jobs; as

The CDN Government will put them out of business .

Hard to say if that will actually happen as they could easily enough be the first ones to set up "legal" fronts for their formally illegal drug trading enterprises.

The Government of Canada has yet to address the issue of who exactly will be able to cultivated and or supply the legal marijuana to the Canadian citizens so that the citizens are not criminalized in any way if and when they do buy the marijuana and consume it legally without fear of being criminalized.

Meantime...Where is the marijuana presently coming from and or where will the marijuana be coming from in the near future ????........ while only a fraction of it is being supplied at present by legitimate entrepreneurs and legitimate in all aspects because the Canadian Federal Government bodies and or the Provincial Government bodies have not yet formulated or formatted a plan for a fully legal supply chain to supply the citizens that would want to consume the now decriminalized recreational drug.

What would stop the Hells Angles and or any other well financed drug trafficking operations from being the first ones to step up and apply for and or set up legally registered large grow operations and hide the fact that they are funded by illegal money and owned in effect by criminal organizations that continue to sell other illegal narcotics and or continue to conduct other nefarious criminal activities.

If you think they will simply cease to continue profiting from a very profitable and lucrative enterprise that they have been conducting for say, 30 years or so because the laws change to legalize the drug then you are mistaken.

Even if they are not awarded the rights to cultivate and supply marijuana legally they will still be there to supply illegally by way of black markets that will inevitably evolve by way of the artificially sustained high prices of the legally obtained marijuana at retail levels.

Prices that do not reflect the actual costs of growing a plant that can be cultivated and sold for very cheap relative to the costs of growing a plant that flourishes on its own throughout history.......let alone being cultivated for profit.

Take a look at the illegal black markets for tobacco every where in the world and relate that to marijuana which could or probably will be sold in a similar way as the market and product marketing matures and evolves.

The criminal element will not go away...or certainly not the way people believe especially if the price of the product remains artificially high and or sustained by Taxes upon Taxes and or all the legitimate and or legal overhead costs and expenditures incurred to legally grow and operate are factored in relative to everything entailed to do it legally and accountable in all respects.

Any foreign grown marijuana from poverty stricken countries such as Cambodia ( or Thailand ) or where ever it can be gown for cheap could supply the same drug for far less and undercut the price of the legally supplied and taxed Marijuana.

Furthermore a notable percent of the marijuana consumers will be buying the illegally supplied marijuana if it is being sold at half the price of the legal marijuana....while the laws will not stop them as we all know the pot heads and lovers of marijuana have never been stopped by the laws nor have they ever feared the laws....so they will buy the lower price illegal marijuana if and when it is made available to them.

Not always and not everyone but hey...When your buddy tells you, you can get the same marijuana for half the price of the legal marijuana and no one is worried about the origins of the product ( Same as no one ever was worried and or will be worried about the origins of the product ) then guaranteed there is a lucrative and growing black market that will inevitably evolve while many of the law abiding citizens???..... will happily participate and sustain the continued illegal supply of a percent of the marijuana consumed in the now legal to consume marijuana market place.

This is what I predict will evolve....but yet to be proven wrong or correct....but lets us see what does develop as it is a move in the right direction, with out a doubt, concerning the legalization of the consumption of the recreational use drug called marijuana.

Cheers

With all due respect, I completely and totally disagree with you. I live in Oregon, USA where recreational pot is completely legal. It is so legal that stores have popped up that sell it to all comers. They sell equipment and supplies and even fresh baked cookies.

How can this not drive the price down and take out the big and illegal profits when anyone can grow it for his own use, or register to grow it for sale? The stores that sell it get it from legal growers and it is no longer expensive.

There is also a reasonable assurance of quality unlike buying in a back alley from a nefarious person. There is also a lack of the danger of dealing in back alleys not to mention worrying about criminal charges. When you remove the risk and greatly improve the supply and availability, how can the price not go down from competition?

I could legally plant my back yard full of pot and have a big supply. I don't see where there's any room left for the criminal gangs.

Cheers.

You best do your research ...as I did........ before you completely disagree.

The prices are still much more than they could be while the illegal marijuana is still there and the black market is growing ....plus there is interstate smuggling going on.

I really do to care rather just pointing out the ramifications and implications of what has developed and or what will develop.

There are and will continue to be plenty of illegal activities concerning the cultivation or the supply of the drug to an ever growing consumer market.

It will not be the marijuana consumers utopia that you are implying.

Read some of the data written about the hemp plant and how cheaply it can be grown and how cheaply the marijuana could be supplied for.

The current prices of marijuana, sold at the legal shops supplying the consumers does not reflect the prices the marijuana could be sold for ...but are not sold for anywhere near what it could be sold for.

It could be sold for 10 dollars per ounce.

Oregon may be less costly ...but still way over priced relative to what the cost could be or should come down to in a truly competitive market.

This is just but one article of many, many articles

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/10/10/if-recreational-marijuana-cant-succeed-in-oregon-t.aspx

Note: If you are a huge pro pot advocate and or a lover of all things marijuana then I will expect a reply from you that steadfastly refutes and or ignores anything at all that criticizes marijuana or finds fault with anything entailed with the drug known as marijuana.....as is the usual with pro pot zealots and or lovers of the recreational purpose drug marijuana.

Cheers

Edited December 6, 2015 by gemguy

[stevenl]

I guess now the Hells Angels and 90 % of the Canadian Jamacians will need to find jobs; as

The CDN Government will put them out of business .

Hard to say if that will actually happen as they could easily enough be the first ones to set up "legal" fronts for their formally illegal drug trading enterprises.

The Government of Canada has yet to address the issue of who exactly will be able to cultivated and or supply the legal marijuana to the Canadian citizens so that the citizens are not criminalized in any way if and when they do buy the marijuana and consume it legally without fear of being criminalized.

Meantime...Where is the marijuana presently coming from and or where will the marijuana be coming from in the near future ????........ while only a fraction of it is being supplied at present by legitimate entrepreneurs and legitimate in all aspects because the Canadian Federal Government bodies and or the Provincial Government bodies have not yet formulated or formatted a plan for a fully legal supply chain to supply the citizens that would want to consume the now decriminalized recreational drug.

What would stop the Hells Angles and or any other well financed drug trafficking operations from being the first ones to step up and apply for and or set up legally registered large grow operations and hide the fact that they are funded by illegal money and owned in effect by criminal organizations that continue to sell other illegal narcotics and or continue to conduct other nefarious criminal activities.

If you think they will simply cease to continue profiting from a very profitable and lucrative enterprise that they have been conducting for say, 30 years or so because the laws change to legalize the drug then you are mistaken.

Even if they are not awarded the rights to cultivate and supply marijuana legally they will still be there to supply illegally by way of black markets that will inevitably evolve by way of the artificially sustained high prices of the legally obtained marijuana at retail levels.

Prices that do not reflect the actual costs of growing a plant that can be cultivated and sold for very cheap relative to the costs of growing a plant that flourishes on its own throughout history.......let alone being cultivated for profit.

Take a look at the illegal black markets for tobacco every where in the world and relate that to marijuana which could or probably will be sold in a similar way as the market and product marketing matures and evolves.

The criminal element will not go away...or certainly not the way people believe especially if the price of the product remains artificially high and or sustained by Taxes upon Taxes and or all the legitimate and or legal overhead costs and expenditures incurred to legally grow and operate are factored in relative to everything entailed to do it legally and accountable in all respects.

Any foreign grown marijuana from poverty stricken countries such as Cambodia ( or Thailand ) or where ever it can be gown for cheap could supply the same drug for far less and undercut the price of the legally supplied and taxed Marijuana.

Furthermore a notable percent of the marijuana consumers will be buying the illegally supplied marijuana if it is being sold at half the price of the legal marijuana....while the laws will not stop them as we all know the pot heads and lovers of marijuana have never been stopped by the laws nor have they ever feared the laws....so they will buy the lower price illegal marijuana if and when it is made available to them.

Not always and not everyone but hey...When your buddy tells you, you can get the same marijuana for half the price of the legal marijuana and no one is worried about the origins of the product ( Same as no one ever was worried and or will be worried about the origins of the product ) then guaranteed there is a lucrative and growing black market that will inevitably evolve while many of the law abiding citizens???..... will happily participate and sustain the continued illegal supply of a percent of the marijuana consumed in the now legal to consume marijuana market place.

This is what I predict will evolve....but yet to be proven wrong or correct....but lets us see what does develop as it is a move in the right direction, with out a doubt, concerning the legalization of the consumption of the recreational use drug called marijuana.

Cheers

With all due respect, I completely and totally disagree with you. I live in Oregon, USA where recreational pot is completely legal. It is so legal that stores have popped up that sell it to all comers. They sell equipment and supplies and even fresh baked cookies.

How can this not drive the price down and take out the big and illegal profits when anyone can grow it for his own use, or register to grow it for sale? The stores that sell it get it from legal growers and it is no longer expensive.

There is also a reasonable assurance of quality unlike buying in a back alley from a nefarious person. There is also a lack of the danger of dealing in back alleys not to mention worrying about criminal charges. When you remove the risk and greatly improve the supply and availability, how can the price not go down from competition?

I could legally plant my back yard full of pot and have a big supply. I don't see where there's any room left for the criminal gangs.

Cheers.

Fully agree.

His arguments have been proven incorrect everywhere pot has been made (semi) legal.

[gemguy]

The new PM is all talk. This will not happen. Neither will a few of his other grand promises.

Lets give him a chance and support him where sensibility is sorely needed.

He will learn that what he says as compared to what can actually be accomplished is a big part of what will make or break him as the new prime minister.

Cheers

[gemguy]

I guess now the Hells Angels and 90 % of the Canadian Jamacians will need to find jobs; as

The CDN Government will put them out of business .

Hard to say if that will actually happen as they could easily enough be the first ones to set up "legal" fronts for their formally illegal drug trading enterprises.

The Government of Canada has yet to address the issue of who exactly will be able to cultivated and or supply the legal marijuana to the Canadian citizens so that the citizens are not criminalized in any way if and when they do buy the marijuana and consume it legally without fear of being criminalized.

Meantime...Where is the marijuana presently coming from and or where will the marijuana be coming from in the near future ????........ while only a fraction of it is being supplied at present by legitimate entrepreneurs and legitimate in all aspects because the Canadian Federal Government bodies and or the Provincial Government bodies have not yet formulated or formatted a plan for a fully legal supply chain to supply the citizens that would want to consume the now decriminalized recreational drug.

What would stop the Hells Angles and or any other well financed drug trafficking operations from being the first ones to step up and apply for and or set up legally registered large grow operations and hide the fact that they are funded by illegal money and owned in effect by criminal organizations that continue to sell other illegal narcotics and or continue to conduct other nefarious criminal activities.

If you think they will simply cease to continue profiting from a very profitable and lucrative enterprise that they have been conducting for say, 30 years or so because the laws change to legalize the drug then you are mistaken.

Even if they are not awarded the rights to cultivate and supply marijuana legally they will still be there to supply illegally by way of black markets that will inevitably evolve by way of the artificially sustained high prices of the legally obtained marijuana at retail levels.

Prices that do not reflect the actual costs of growing a plant that can be cultivated and sold for very cheap relative to the costs of growing a plant that flourishes on its own throughout history.......let alone being cultivated for profit.

Take a look at the illegal black markets for tobacco every where in the world and relate that to marijuana which could or probably will be sold in a similar way as the market and product marketing matures and evolves.

The criminal element will not go away...or certainly not the way people believe especially if the price of the product remains artificially high and or sustained by Taxes upon Taxes and or all the legitimate and or legal overhead costs and expenditures incurred to legally grow and operate are factored in relative to everything entailed to do it legally and accountable in all respects.

Any foreign grown marijuana from poverty stricken countries such as Cambodia ( or Thailand ) or where ever it can be gown for cheap could supply the same drug for far less and undercut the price of the legally supplied and taxed Marijuana.

Furthermore a notable percent of the marijuana consumers will be buying the illegally supplied marijuana if it is being sold at half the price of the legal marijuana....while the laws will not stop them as we all know the pot heads and lovers of marijuana have never been stopped by the laws nor have they ever feared the laws....so they will buy the lower price illegal marijuana if and when it is made available to them.

Not always and not everyone but hey...When your buddy tells you, you can get the same marijuana for half the price of the legal marijuana and no one is worried about the origins of the product ( Same as no one ever was worried and or will be worried about the origins of the product ) then guaranteed there is a lucrative and growing black market that will inevitably evolve while many of the law abiding citizens???..... will happily participate and sustain the continued illegal supply of a percent of the marijuana consumed in the now legal to consume marijuana market place.

This is what I predict will evolve....but yet to be proven wrong or correct....but lets us see what does develop as it is a move in the right direction, with out a doubt, concerning the legalization of the consumption of the recreational use drug called marijuana.

Cheers

With all due respect, I completely and totally disagree with you. I live in Oregon, USA where recreational pot is completely legal. It is so legal that stores have popped up that sell it to all comers. They sell equipment and supplies and even fresh baked cookies.

How can this not drive the price down and take out the big and illegal profits when anyone can grow it for his own use, or register to grow it for sale? The stores that sell it get it from legal growers and it is no longer expensive.

There is also a reasonable assurance of quality unlike buying in a back alley from a nefarious person. There is also a lack of the danger of dealing in back alleys not to mention worrying about criminal charges. When you remove the risk and greatly improve the supply and availability, how can the price not go down from competition?

I could legally plant my back yard full of pot and have a big supply. I don't see where there's any room left for the criminal gangs.

Cheers.

Fully agree.

His arguments have been proven incorrect everywhere pot has been made (semi) legal.

Do your research first....then comment ..as facts always help people understand all that is entailed.

What you believe verses what is actually happening is often significantly different

I am pro legalization and support the people that want to make a legal business out of growing marijuana but it will not be the pot growers utopia that everyone is implying or believing as such.

Meantime there are many aspects of legal marijuana supply and consumption that will not be over come just because the drug is legalized for consumption.

At 200 dollars to 300 dollars per ounce there is plenty of room for the black market to thrive while the pot consumers never did care where they obtained their marijuana from and never will be concerned because no one ever died from marijuana ..correct? ...right?...as that has been the hard core argument for the last 50 years coming from the pot advocates.

They do not care if it comes from criminal organizations that are involved in far more nefarious activities other than just the supply of a harmless recreational drug so they are not going to be always persuaded to buy the over priced legal drug when the illegal supply chain will still be there to supply many other recreational purpose drugs ...including their marijuana for 1/2 the price...if they so choose to purchase.

Legalizing the drug is the sensible thing to do but if you think that multi million dollar narcotics trafficking operations are just going to cease to exist because the drug is now legalized then you are mistaken.

What is happening is the legal suppliers are beginning to supply a growing percent of the drug to the consumers.

What will evolve and finally settle in will not be the way everyone is thinking or hoping.

Meantime ...fill your boots if marijuana is your love in life.

Cheers

[stevenl]

I guess now the Hells Angels and 90 % of the Canadian Jamacians will need to find jobs; as
The CDN Government will put them out of business .

Hard to say if that will actually happen as they could easily enough be the first ones to set up "legal" fronts for their formally illegal drug trading enterprises.

The Government of Canada has yet to address the issue of who exactly will be able to cultivated and or supply the legal marijuana to the Canadian citizens so that the citizens are not criminalized in any way if and when they do buy the marijuana and consume it legally without fear of being criminalized.

Meantime...Where is the marijuana presently coming from and or where will the marijuana be coming from in the near future ????........ while only a fraction of it is being supplied at present by legitimate entrepreneurs and legitimate in all aspects because the Canadian Federal Government bodies and or the Provincial Government bodies have not yet formulated or formatted a plan for a fully legal supply chain to supply the citizens that would want to consume the now decriminalized recreational drug.

What would stop the Hells Angles and or any other well financed drug trafficking operations from being the first ones to step up and apply for and or set up legally registered large grow operations and hide the fact that they are funded by illegal money and owned in effect by criminal organizations that continue to sell other illegal narcotics and or continue to conduct other nefarious criminal activities.

If you think they will simply cease to continue profiting from a very profitable and lucrative enterprise that they have been conducting for say, 30 years or so because the laws change to legalize the drug then you are mistaken.

Even if they are not awarded the rights to cultivate and supply marijuana legally they will still be there to supply illegally by way of black markets that will inevitably evolve by way of the artificially sustained high prices of the legally obtained marijuana at retail levels.
Prices that do not reflect the actual costs of growing a plant that can be cultivated and sold for very cheap relative to the costs of growing a plant that flourishes on its own throughout history.......let alone being cultivated for profit.

Take a look at the illegal black markets for tobacco every where in the world and relate that to marijuana which could or probably will be sold in a similar way as the market and product marketing matures and evolves.

The criminal element will not go away...or certainly not the way people believe especially if the price of the product remains artificially high and or sustained by Taxes upon Taxes and or all the legitimate and or legal overhead costs and expenditures incurred to legally grow and operate are factored in relative to everything entailed to do it legally and accountable in all respects.

Any foreign grown marijuana from poverty stricken countries such as Cambodia ( or Thailand ) or where ever it can be gown for cheap could supply the same drug for far less and undercut the price of the legally supplied and taxed Marijuana.

Furthermore a notable percent of the marijuana consumers will be buying the illegally supplied marijuana if it is being sold at half the price of the legal marijuana....while the laws will not stop them as we all know the pot heads and lovers of marijuana have never been stopped by the laws nor have they ever feared the laws....so they will buy the lower price illegal marijuana if and when it is made available to them.

Not always and not everyone but hey...When your buddy tells you, you can get the same marijuana for half the price of the legal marijuana and no one is worried about the origins of the product ( Same as no one ever was worried and or will be worried about the origins of the product ) then guaranteed there is a lucrative and growing black market that will inevitably evolve while many of the law abiding citizens???..... will happily participate and sustain the continued illegal supply of a percent of the marijuana consumed in the now legal to consume marijuana market place.

This is what I predict will evolve....but yet to be proven wrong or correct....but lets us see what does develop as it is a move in the right direction, with out a doubt, concerning the legalization of the consumption of the recreational use drug called marijuana.

Cheers

With all due respect, I completely and totally disagree with you. I live in Oregon, USA where recreational pot is completely legal. It is so legal that stores have popped up that sell it to all comers. They sell equipment and supplies and even fresh baked cookies.

How can this not drive the price down and take out the big and illegal profits when anyone can grow it for his own use, or register to grow it for sale? The stores that sell it get it from legal growers and it is no longer expensive.

There is also a reasonable assurance of quality unlike buying in a back alley from a nefarious person. There is also a lack of the danger of dealing in back alleys not to mention worrying about criminal charges. When you remove the risk and greatly improve the supply and availability, how can the price not go down from competition?

I could legally plant my back yard full of pot and have a big supply. I don't see where there's any room left for the criminal gangs.

Cheers.

Fully agree.

His arguments have been proven incorrect everywhere pot has been made (semi) legal.

Do your research first....then comment ..as facts always help people understand all that is entailed.

What you believe verses what is actually happening is often significantly different

I am pro legalization and support the people that want to make a legal business out of growing marijuana but it will not be the pot growers utopia that everyone is implying or believing as such.

Meantime there are many aspects of legal marijuana supply and consumption that will not be over come just because the drug is legalized for consumption.

At 200 dollars to 300 dollars per ounce there is plenty of room for the black market to thrive while the pot consumers never did care where they obtained their marijuana from and never will be concerned because no one ever died from marijuana ..correct? ...right?...as that has been the hard core argument for the last 50 years coming from the pot advocates.

They do not care if it comes from criminal organizations that are involved in far more nefarious activities other than just the supply of a harmless recreational drug so they are not going to be always persuaded to buy the over priced legal drug when the illegal supply chain will still be there to supply many other recreational purpose drugs ...including their marijuana for 1/2 the price...if they so choose to purchase.

Legalizing the drug is the sensible thing to do but if you think that multi million dollar narcotics trafficking operations are just going to cease to exist because the drug is now legalized then you are mistaken.

What is happening is the legal suppliers are beginning to supply a growing percent of the drug to the consumers.

What will evolve and finally settle in will not be the way everyone is thinking or hoping.

Meantime ...fill your boots if marijuana is your love in life.

Cheers

As I said, it is working everywhere.

[gemguy]

I guess now the Hells Angels and 90 % of the Canadian Jamacians will need to find jobs; as

The CDN Government will put them out of business .

Hard to say if that will actually happen as they could easily enough be the first ones to set up "legal" fronts for their formally illegal drug trading enterprises.

The Government of Canada has yet to address the issue of who exactly will be able to cultivated and or supply the legal marijuana to the Canadian citizens so that the citizens are not criminalized in any way if and when they do buy the marijuana and consume it legally without fear of being criminalized.

Meantime...Where is the marijuana presently coming from and or where will the marijuana be coming from in the near future ????........ while only a fraction of it is being supplied at present by legitimate entrepreneurs and legitimate in all aspects because the Canadian Federal Government bodies and or the Provincial Government bodies have not yet formulated or formatted a plan for a fully legal supply chain to supply the citizens that would want to consume the now decriminalized recreational drug.

What would stop the Hells Angles and or any other well financed drug trafficking operations from being the first ones to step up and apply for and or set up legally registered large grow operations and hide the fact that they are funded by illegal money and owned in effect by criminal organizations that continue to sell other illegal narcotics and or continue to conduct other nefarious criminal activities.

If you think they will simply cease to continue profiting from a very profitable and lucrative enterprise that they have been conducting for say, 30 years or so because the laws change to legalize the drug then you are mistaken.

Even if they are not awarded the rights to cultivate and supply marijuana legally they will still be there to supply illegally by way of black markets that will inevitably evolve by way of the artificially sustained high prices of the legally obtained marijuana at retail levels.

Prices that do not reflect the actual costs of growing a plant that can be cultivated and sold for very cheap relative to the costs of growing a plant that flourishes on its own throughout history.......let alone being cultivated for profit.

Take a look at the illegal black markets for tobacco every where in the world and relate that to marijuana which could or probably will be sold in a similar way as the market and product marketing matures and evolves.

The criminal element will not go away...or certainly not the way people believe especially if the price of the product remains artificially high and or sustained by Taxes upon Taxes and or all the legitimate and or legal overhead costs and expenditures incurred to legally grow and operate are factored in relative to everything entailed to do it legally and accountable in all respects.

Any foreign grown marijuana from poverty stricken countries such as Cambodia ( or Thailand ) or where ever it can be gown for cheap could supply the same drug for far less and undercut the price of the legally supplied and taxed Marijuana.

Furthermore a notable percent of the marijuana consumers will be buying the illegally supplied marijuana if it is being sold at half the price of the legal marijuana....while the laws will not stop them as we all know the pot heads and lovers of marijuana have never been stopped by the laws nor have they ever feared the laws....so they will buy the lower price illegal marijuana if and when it is made available to them.

Not always and not everyone but hey...When your buddy tells you, you can get the same marijuana for half the price of the legal marijuana and no one is worried about the origins of the product ( Same as no one ever was worried and or will be worried about the origins of the product ) then guaranteed there is a lucrative and growing black market that will inevitably evolve while many of the law abiding citizens???..... will happily participate and sustain the continued illegal supply of a percent of the marijuana consumed in the now legal to consume marijuana market place.

This is what I predict will evolve....but yet to be proven wrong or correct....but lets us see what does develop as it is a move in the right direction, with out a doubt, concerning the legalization of the consumption of the recreational use drug called marijuana.

Cheers

With all due respect, I completely and totally disagree with you. I live in Oregon, USA where recreational pot is completely legal. It is so legal that stores have popped up that sell it to all comers. They sell equipment and supplies and even fresh baked cookies.

How can this not drive the price down and take out the big and illegal profits when anyone can grow it for his own use, or register to grow it for sale? The stores that sell it get it from legal growers and it is no longer expensive.

There is also a reasonable assurance of quality unlike buying in a back alley from a nefarious person. There is also a lack of the danger of dealing in back alleys not to mention worrying about criminal charges. When you remove the risk and greatly improve the supply and availability, how can the price not go down from competition?

I could legally plant my back yard full of pot and have a big supply. I don't see where there's any room left for the criminal gangs.

Cheers.

Fully agree.

His arguments have been proven incorrect everywhere pot has been made (semi) legal.

Do your research first....then comment ..as facts always help people understand all that is entailed.

What you believe verses what is actually happening is often significantly different

I am pro legalization and support the people that want to make a legal business out of growing marijuana but it will not be the pot growers utopia that everyone is implying or believing as such.

Meantime there are many aspects of legal marijuana supply and consumption that will not be over come just because the drug is legalized for consumption.

At 200 dollars to 300 dollars per ounce there is plenty of room for the black market to thrive while the pot consumers never did care where they obtained their marijuana from and never will be concerned because no one ever died from marijuana ..correct? ...right?...as that has been the hard core argument for the last 50 years coming from the pot advocates.

They do not care if it comes from criminal organizations that are involved in far more nefarious activities other than just the supply of a harmless recreational drug so they are not going to be always persuaded to buy the over priced legal drug when the illegal supply chain will still be there to supply many other recreational purpose drugs ...including their marijuana for 1/2 the price...if they so choose to purchase.

Legalizing the drug is the sensible thing to do but if you think that multi million dollar narcotics trafficking operations are just going to cease to exist because the drug is now legalized then you are mistaken.

What is happening is the legal suppliers are beginning to supply a growing percent of the drug to the consumers.

What will evolve and finally settle in will not be the way everyone is thinking or hoping.

Meantime ...fill your boots if marijuana is your love in life.

Cheers

As I said, it is working everywhere.

I did not say or imply it is not working....rather I am pointing out the various aspects and ramifications of what is evolving and or will evolve.

The good the bad and the ugly aspects of the recreational use drug known as marijuana.

Cheers

[Berkshire]

Didn't Mexico also "talk" about legalizing pot? Stop talking about it and do it already!

[impulse]

I'll be interested to see what the statistics say about alcohol abuse and DWI injuries and fatalities once weed is legalized.

While it's probably true that weed isn't good for you, I suspect it's a lot less bad than today's legal alternative.

All the studies I've seen are all about the effects of weed, without netting out the fact that people who can legally smoke it may be switching from a more dangerous (albeit legal) vice, and legalizing it may have a positive health effect above and beyond the financial and societal damage the prison system and prohibition bring down on millions of families every year.

Edited December 6, 2015 by impulse

[attrayant]

While it's probably true that weed isn't good for you, I suspect it's a lot less bad than today's legal alternative.

All the studies I've seen are all about the effects of weed, without netting out the fact that people who can legally smoke it may be switching from a more dangerous (albeit legal) vice, and legalizing it may have a positive health effect above and beyond the financial and societal damage the prison system and prohibition bring down on millions of families every year.

Healthcare Triage has a short video about the relevant research.

[stevenl]

Fully agree.

His arguments have been proven incorrect everywhere pot has been made (semi) legal.

Do your research first....then comment ..as facts always help people understand all that is entailed.

What you believe verses what is actually happening is often significantly different

I am pro legalization and support the people that want to make a legal business out of growing marijuana but it will not be the pot growers utopia that everyone is implying or believing as such.

Meantime there are many aspects of legal marijuana supply and consumption that will not be over come just because the drug is legalized for consumption.

At 200 dollars to 300 dollars per ounce there is plenty of room for the black market to thrive while the pot consumers never did care where they obtained their marijuana from and never will be concerned because no one ever died from marijuana ..correct? ...right?...as that has been the hard core argument for the last 50 years coming from the pot advocates.

They do not care if it comes from criminal organizations that are involved in far more nefarious activities other than just the supply of a harmless recreational drug so they are not going to be always persuaded to buy the over priced legal drug when the illegal supply chain will still be there to supply many other recreational purpose drugs ...including their marijuana for 1/2 the price...if they so choose to purchase.

Legalizing the drug is the sensible thing to do but if you think that multi million dollar narcotics trafficking operations are just going to cease to exist because the drug is now legalized then you are mistaken.

What is happening is the legal suppliers are beginning to supply a growing percent of the drug to the consumers.

What will evolve and finally settle in will not be the way everyone is thinking or hoping.

Meantime ...fill your boots if marijuana is your love in life.

Cheers

As I said, it is working everywhere.

I did not say or imply it is not working....rather I am pointing out the various aspects and ramifications of what is evolving and or will evolve.

The good the bad and the ugly aspects of the recreational use drug known as marijuana.

Cheers

"I did not say or imply it is not working.."

You're just coming up with all possible negative aspects, many of which have been refuted already by past experiences.

[Steely Dan]

I bet they get a few more chocolate factories opening north of the border.

[Petchou]

The new PM is all talk. This will not happen. Neither will a few of his other grand promises.

How do you know? Do you have crystal ball or are you one of those crazy followers of Harper

[gemguy]

I'll be interested to see what the statistics say about alcohol abuse and DWI injuries and fatalities once weed is legalized.

While it's probably true that weed isn't good for you, I suspect it's a lot less bad than today's legal alternative.

All the studies I've seen are all about the effects of weed, without netting out the fact that people who can legally smoke it may be switching from a more dangerous (albeit legal) vice, and legalizing it may have a positive health effect above and beyond the financial and societal damage the prison system and prohibition bring down on millions of families every year.

There will be new drugging and driving laws

[impulse]

I'll be interested to see what the statistics say about alcohol abuse and DWI injuries and fatalities once weed is legalized.

While it's probably true that weed isn't good for you, I suspect it's a lot less bad than today's legal alternative.

All the studies I've seen are all about the effects of weed, without netting out the fact that people who can legally smoke it may be switching from a more dangerous (albeit legal) vice, and legalizing it may have a positive health effect above and beyond the financial and societal damage the prison system and prohibition bring down on millions of families every year.

There will be new drugging and driving laws

I don't know that new laws will be required, but I suspect some enterprising folk will develop a better mousetrap to measure THC blood levels with a breath test.

Or do they have that already? Back in the day, I think they had to draw blood- which wasn't handy for traffic stops- needed a licensed health care pro on the scene to operate the needle.

[gemguy]

I'll be interested to see what the statistics say about alcohol abuse and DWI injuries and fatalities once weed is legalized.

While it's probably true that weed isn't good for you, I suspect it's a lot less bad than today's legal alternative.

All the studies I've seen are all about the effects of weed, without netting out the fact that people who can legally smoke it may be switching from a more dangerous (albeit legal) vice, and legalizing it may have a positive health effect above and beyond the financial and societal damage the prison system and prohibition bring down on millions of families every year.

There will be new drugging and driving laws

I don't know that new laws will be required, but I suspect some enterprising folk will develop a better mousetrap to measure THC blood levels with a breath test.

Or do they have that already? Back in the day, I think they had to draw blood- which wasn't handy for traffic stops- needed a licensed health care pro on the scene to operate the needle.

For sure they will develop some means of on the spot testing ...same as DUI testing.

I know that driving under the influence of Cannabis is proven to be less risky than driving under the influence of Alcohol....but still.... that law is one sensible law that you would want to be enforced while the public at large would support that law and its enforcement

[Harsh Jones]

The new PM is all talk. This will not happen. Neither will a few of his other grand promises.

How do you know? Do you have crystal ball or are you one of those crazy followers of Harper

Harper never kept any promises either. Ive been fooled by this "democracy" thing enough times.

[timber]

I did some homework on the germination of seeds for my garden. What was interesting was that 95% of the pages were about germinating seeds for growing pot.