VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Marijuana advocates say the government is not listening to the people who made legalization a reality. More details were released this week about the marijuana task force.
Jodie Emery says the Liberal government has started to use the same prohibition rhetoric as the Harper government.
“The government is treating the activist community like criminals, when we are the ones responsible for making legalization a reality, through our protests, political campaigns, education and outreach.”
She believes the people affected most by marijuana, should have a say in how it’s legalized.
“There should be at least one leading activist or advocate who helped make legalization possible,” she says. “Millions of Canadians have been arrested for marijuana, thousands have been sent to prison, so the victims of marijuana law enforcement should have a say from a criminal justice and civil liberties angle.”
Emery says task force is made up of people who were opposed to legalization.
She wants the government to actually consult the public through this process, and not just appear to.