CANNABIS CULTURE – Bill Blair, the Liberal MP and former Toronto police chief put in charge of legalizing marijuana in Canada, said granting pardons to people convicted of pot possession “is not being contemplated at this time.”
“That is not currently under discussion,” Blair said, as reported by Buzzfeed.
Blair also said police should continue to enforce marijuana laws until the government can reform Canadian laws dealing with marijuana possession.
“The only control that is currently in place is the criminal sanction and the laws,” Blair said. “… those laws must continue to be respected and upheld right across the country.”
This puts the Liberal Pot Czar at odds with some members of his own party and critics who say the Liberals are sending mixed signals to Canadians.
Toronto Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith told CBC News that he would push for the decriminalization of marijuana right away and supported the idea of pardons for those previously convicted for pot.
“I do think we will need to review support initiatives for those granted amnesty / pardoned, in order to ensure that such individuals are given every opportunity to move past their previous records/incarceration, and given every opportunity to succeed,” Erskine-Smith said.
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair called for immediate marijuana decriminalization last week, telling the press, “I think we owe it to ourselves to be clear on this to make sure nobody ever again in Canada gets a criminal record for simple possession of marijuana for personal use.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, while running for election, promised to decriminalize marijuana as soon as he was elected.