ReeferMadness

So now I'm curious. What is your position on marijuana and which party best represents that position?

That's exactly what he's saying and as proof, he linked an article that repeatedly says that pot is legal in the state of Washington. And then, when I called him on it, he said that the authors of the article that he linked to prove his point don't know what they're talking about. It all makes perfect sense.

I understand the SCOTUS has already sided with the feds when it comes to national vs state legislation. However, it's one thing to have the legislative authority. It's quite another to use that legislative authority on a state where the local population has clearly expressed its wishes. The Republican base has a lot of states rights activists so it remains to be seen whether a Republican president would really expend political capital by pushing this issue.

I'm not clear what you mean by "strong precautionary principle" and I'm not sure I need to be. I'm in favour of a pragmatic approach. Specifically, I get wary of anyone who claims to be able to assign precise numerical probabilities to rare events like a nuclear meltdown or a theft of nuclear waste. A pragmatic approach would recognize that these rare events are also potentially catastrophic. So, I would only accept that risk if there were no acceptable alternatives. I think there are alternatives which could be adopted, like solar and wind. You seem to be equating standard of living with quality of life. They are two very different things. And maybe if you lived in Fukushima, you would find it less irrational to oppose nuclear power.

I'm still not exactly clear on how much of the G20 nightmare was Blair's doing vs other police forces but I take your point. WRT the sexual harassment charges, I think Trudeau was in a no win situation. If he didn't take action and it came out later (and I think it was bound to sooner or later), people would accuse him of ignoring it. I think he was absolutely right in saying that the HoC needs a process for dealing with these types of allegations.

Everyone is crowding the middle these days. I've voted Progressive Conservative in days gone by but I could never vote for these guys.

It will be interesting to see if that actually happens. Currently, the republicans are only talking to their base so prohibition is popular. See what they say on the campaign trail.

Seems to be a common reaction.

That's true. I was going to get into that but it just muddies the debate. In the states that have legalized it, it is still technically illegal but nobody is going to enforce the federal law. There are lots of laws out there that are on the books but nobody enforces.

You make some fair points but he seems to be finding his stride. I missed the debate, unfortunately. I still don't understand how you could dislike him more than Harper, though.

Really? Can you perform one? Guns are legal in Canada - subject to limits and regulations. Alcohol is legal in Canada - subject to limits and regulations. Prescription drugs are legal in Canada - subject to limits and regulations. See how that works?

Man, did you even read your own link? That's the title. I know it's hard to find, being splashed in big bold letters across the top of the page. Were you stoned when you posted it?

cc, here is a statement from the Green Party Website So, neither of the two parties that officially favour legalization of marijuana define it like you do. The link that I provided doesn't define legalization like you do. I voted for legalization but having read the definitions, I would like to withdraw my vote. Can you find a reference to support your definition?

Agreed.

I think these are just more examples of where the science will evolve and we will learn more as we go along. That's why I use prevailing science as a guide, not as a set of commandments.

NDP loses momentum, Cons drop to 3rd. I'm not sure why so many people here hate Trudeau. I suspect some of you are still mad at Pierre. I don't know that a Liberal minority under Trudeau would be drastically different from an NDP minority under Mulcair. I prefer the Liberal position on pot and I think Trudeau has been more forthcoming on financial matters. I prefer the NDP position on voting system reform but I'm not convinced that either one of them will actually be able to deliver it. Over two BC elections, I've witnessed the way that party insiders on all sides can sabotage voting system reform. I'm optimistic that we can still get it but the only leader that would really go out on a ledge for it is Elizabeth May. As long as Harper loses, October 19 will be a great day for Canada.

There was a lot of talk about decriminalization but it never happened, at least officially. In practical terms, how you were treated often depended on where you were. Different police departments took different approaches to laying charges for simple possession of marijuana. So, we kind of have had decriminalization in many places because many police departments don't bother prosecuting simple possession.

Here is an article on legalization vs decriminalization. Legalization means there are no penalties, providing you follow the regulation. What the survey is calling decriminalization is in fact various approaches to legalization. What the survey refers to as legalization doesn't exist anywhere, to my knowledge. Decriminalization is the removal of criminal penalties and replacing them with administrative penalties (e.g. fines), like traffic tickets. For example, most traffic violations are illegal but not criminal. Sorry, man - I think this survey needs a do-over.

I'm still not convinced that the definition in the poll is correct. Washington State has legalized marijuana. There are still regulations, but it is legal to buy.

I couldn't find anything on the Liberal Party website but I did find this petition. And it says this: It sounds like what you call decriminalization is what the Liberals (and I) are calling legalization. I can't find anything on what the NDP mean by decriminalize it.

So, according to that alcohol is decriminalized, not legalized. I don't profess to be an expert but I don't think that your definition follows how Trudeau and Mulcair mean it in their policy statements.

All good points. I respect the NDP for having a progressive agenda and I know that they have some really outstanding people I'm not sure how much of a progressive Mulcair is really but he would be a vast improvement over Harper. But as much as I try to like the NDP, some of them make it really hard sometimes. Cruise by rabble.ca or the tyee, both popular NDP hangouts. There are people who go after Elizabeth May in a way that is inexplicably vicious. I've heard the Green Party described as a stalking horse for the right wing. It's crazy but they believe it.

So, I voted legalization because I consider alcohol legal and I like the regulation approach. On your model, it looks like should have chosen decriminalization. With respect, I don't agree with the model as it's laid out. I consider alcohol a legal, regulated product, not a decriminalized, regulated product.

-9.38, -8.36 The chart can barely contain me.

Well, as long as there's a good reason.