Is Decriminalization The Answer?

The Liberal Party of Canada half-heartedly attempted to pass a bill that would decriminalize marijuana and make it a fineable offense only. Pot activists are split on this issue, some believe it is a step in the right direction; others say that it is the perfect solution; and some believe it is a false hope. So is decriminalization the answer?

In my opinion I say, while it may be a step in the right direction, it is still not enough, and in fact may be worse. Decriminalization might ease some of the burden on the courts and jails, however it does not go nearly far enough. Police would still be forced to enforce the prohibition and it may even cause the courts to become even more clogged up as I doubt any weed warrior will sit back and pay the fine, most likely people will fight it based on the fact that the decriminalization law the Liberals put forth has no real teeth.

In my mind decriminalization is a politically motivated move, a way for the Liberals to have their cake and eat it too. What they want to do is say “See we support the marijuana movement” to the growing hordes of marijuana activists, and also be able to say “We will crack down on those law breaking hippy potheads while still being fiscally responsible”, so basically the Liberals are trying to fill the middle right void vacated by the defunct Progressive Conservative Party. I know the Conservative Party of Canada claims to be middle right, but they are not, they are firmly right wing, bordering on far right, the PC party was at least closer to the middle with several policies bordering on left leaning. The Liberals are sneaking over the median to the right slowly but surely. They seem to be abandoning their liberal views in view of a more conservative standpoint.

For any NDP members out there this is good news. More and more liberals (note the use of the lowercase “l”, it denotes actual liberal people vs. the Liberal Party) are noticing this shift and defecting to the NDP party. I made the switch a couple of years ago, after years of being a staunch Liberal supporter I abandoned my preferred party and became a NDP member. It was not over the marijuana issue, I do actually have many other political beliefs that I believe are just as important, and one or two I consider more important, then the marijuana issue. My MP at the time was Pat O’Brien and it was during the Same Sex Marriage debate, it was O’Brien that pushed me away from the Liberals for good with his over zealous standpoint against same sex marriage and his claim that over 80% of his riding had the same view.

I seem to have gotten off topic, so lets return. Decriminalization, as put forward by the Liberals is no answer for marijuana activists, it is a political ploy by a party shifting ever further to the right. Unless Dion pulls the party back to their centre left roots the NDP will be the only major party to the left, and the only real choice for pot activists. I apologize to my friends in the Marijuana Party, I know you guys are working hard and want it much more then the NDP, but the public views the Marijuana Party as a single issue party at best, and I won’t even get into what some people view them as.