On April 26 the province said it wants the federal government to “recriminalize” drug consumption in public spaces such as in hospitals, parks and buses. In his intervention from the floor Mr. Poilievre blamed the Trudeau government’s drug decriminalization last year in British Columbia for feeding a crisis and linked it to the 2,500 drug deaths annually in the province. In particular Mr. Poilievre was upset about the deterioration in the quality of life for children, families, hospital workers and anyone who uses public transit. Mr. Poilievre, a member of the Conservative Party, was voicing outrage that Ottawa isn’t acting.
The war on drugs, in the U.S. or in Canada, is a colossal failure because it’s aimed at interdicting supply even as demand remains robust. Among the unintended consequences of prohibition, when demand is inelastic, is that success in clamping down on supply makes the illegal narcotics business more profitable. Cartels corrupt law enforcement, hire mules, and purchase weapons, small planes, disposable submarines and high-tech equipment. Poor democracies with frail institutions are no match for well-funded organized crime.
Legalizers want to take the money out of the business. The temperance crowd argues that removing the prohibition will increase use. Decriminalization has been offered as a middle ground to keep addicts from going to jail where they’re unlikely to beat their problem. But the objective of decriminalization matters. If it’s merely to green-light use, it can make things worse.
O…
Read moreUntil the late 90s, you could not by beer, wine, or spirits in any privately owned store in Ontario, only in the government's Beer Store. I wonder if now they have government-owned Dope Stores to keep the dopes stoned with dope while profiteering the government.
@KeenFr33SpeechNo Labels3wks3W
The taxes generated from cannabis are very attractive. Any doubt Biden will legalize marijuana nationally?
@Lobby1stChrisSocialist3wks3W
Drugs radically alter the user's brain chemistry. By definition, that alteration changes the user's experience of reality and therefore, their ability to cope constructively.
How does anyone think widespread drug use is going turn out well for the individual user or the community they live in?
@BallotBoxJohnnyDemocrat3wks3W
It's not about increasing drug use through "widespread use" as you put it; it's about decreasing the black market/crime and increasing safety through regulation. The US can't even regulate a safe food market, so I wouldn't expect them to be able to tackle the drug problem wholistically. We can't even provide or treat mental health problems, which in lies the main the problem and why people turn to drug use in the first place.
Why would any city, province, or country go down the decriminalization route given the failed experiments of Portland and San Francisco?
@EgalitarianSnipeVeteran3wks3W
..where state resources were used to enable personal destruction
This is where I draw the line. Here in CA, homeless camps are filled with drug addled people who get a monthly check from the government, which pays for their self-destruction. IMHO, the government is worse than the pushers who helped to get these people addicted.
@ISIDEWITH3wks3W
@ISIDEWITH3wks3W
What are your thoughts on the use of government-funded facilities for safe drug injection: helpful harm reduction or a misuse of resources?
@9M7CR2B3wks3W
I think the government does a fine job of making sure drugs are safe for people. The FDA is very strict and has good policies in place.
@ISIDEWITH3wks3W
Do you believe that decriminalizing drugs could lead to a safer society, or does it encourage drug use?
@9M7BKYF3wks3W
I feel like it would put more drugs in America due to the need, but we need a different way of dealing with this.
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