Supporting the legalization of marijuana would help rejuvenate Liberal Party

In the upcoming Liberal convention delegates will be voting on a resolution to legalize marijuana. This resolution has been submitted by the Young Liberals of Canada and it reads like this:

117. Legalize and Regulate Marijuana

WHEREAS, despite almost a century of prohibition, millions of Canadians today regularly consume marijuana and other cannabis products;

WHEREAS the failed prohibition of marijuana has exhausted countless billions of dollars spent on ineffective or incomplete enforcement and has resulted in unnecessarily dangerous and expensive congestion in our judicial system;

WHEREAS various marijuana decriminalization or legalization policy prescriptions have been recommended by the 1969-72 Commission of Enquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs, the 2002 Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, and the 2002 House of Commons Special Committee on the Non-Medical Use of Drugs;

WHEREAS the legal status quo for the criminal regulation of marijuana continues to endanger Canadians by generating significant resources for gang-related violent criminal activity and weapons smuggling – a reality which could be very easily confronted by the regulation and legitimization of Canada’s marijuana industry;

BE IT RESOLVED that a new Liberal government will legalize marijuana and ensure the regulation and taxation of its production, distribution, and use, while enacting strict penalties for illegal trafficking, illegal importation and exportation, and impaired driving;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a new Liberal government will invest significant resources in prevention and education programs designed to promote awareness of the health risks and consequences of marijuana use and dependency, especially amongst youth;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a new Liberal government will extend amnesty to all Canadians previously convicted of simple and minimal marijuana possession, and ensure the elimination of all criminal records related thereto;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a new Liberal government will work with the provinces and local governments of Canada on a coordinated regulatory approach to marijuana which maintains significant federal responsibility for marijuana control while respecting provincial health jurisdiction and particular regional concerns and practices.

Young Liberals of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada (British Columbia)

In response interim (?) leader Bob Rae has admitted to smoking pot in the past but can’t recall if he has done so lately (presumably because his short term memory has been effected by something). He says that the Conservatives are clearly wrong to crack down on marijuana users but he can’t support this resolution because it has “too many flaws.”

It is not clear to me what flaws Mr. Rae is referring to. The most immediate flaw that I see is the “education program” component which strikes me as a waste of money. The government has been trying to convince people not to smoke cannabis based on “education” for generations and to no discernible result.

I also don’t like the implication of taxing the “use” of the drug. I suspect that this is a call for a sin tax which means that this isn’t a repudiation of a prohibitionist’s almost sickening desire to interfere with other people’s lives. Since this soft-prohibitionist approach is better than straight criminalization, I suppose I will live with it.

I doubt that Bob Rae sees either of these points as flaws and so I am still at a lost to what his objection is. I suspect that his hesitation has more to do with an unwillingness to take the issue on than any substantive objection. This is a mistake for the so called interim leader who has vowed to rejuvenate his party. Taking a bold position that MOST CANADIANS AGREE WITH ANYWAY is exactly what he needs to do to re-excite people about the Liberal Party.

Despite some dismissing ending prohibition as a side issue, it has the potential to be a crucial part of the Liberal Party platform. If the great issues of our day are mounting debt and the dangers of state insolvency then ending marijuana prohibition can certainly be a part of the solution. It is likely the one thing that the federal government can do that will cut the most spending on both the federal and provincial levels. It will mean the savings of billions of taxpayer’s dollars.

With one policy the Liberal Party can claim to be both more progressive than the Conservatives and better fiscal managers than the Conservatives. That is the exact balance that can rescue the Liberals from a decline into obscurity.