Talk:Cannabis in Canada/Archive 1

Created
I've created this article in hopes that others more knowledgeable than I will come and expand it. My thinking is that Canada is on the forefront of legalization efforts, yet the Legal issues of cannabis article only mentions the US and the UK. The outline is suggested, be bold. I intend to publicize the creation of the article, in hopes of attracting knowledgeable Canadians to work on it.

-SM 15:34, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Article title
I'm uncertain that this is the best title (and if in Canada it should be Legalisation, I humbly apologise). Please let's discuss here and reach consensus before moving the page around, as I am creating links to it (from Talk pages mostly), and would like to reduce the thrash.

-SM 15:47, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Canadian English says that -ize is more popular than -ise, and otherwise I think it is a good title because it reflects that the law is also involved in the process, ie in the UK it would have to be Cannabis legalisation campaign, SqueakBox 15:40, 6 November 2005 (UTC)


 * yes in Canada we would never write it as ending with ise. Peter Burian. 1 December 2016 from my smartphone

Key court decisions
I am uncertain which these would be, but would like to reference them here, with small separate articles added. Cf Gonzales v. Raich.

-SM 10:52, 6 November 2005 (UTC)


 * That case has nothing to do with Canadian legalization. Why would US supreme court have jurisdiction over canada? [unsigned comment]

Sorry, I meant compare it for style, i.e., decisions relevant to Canada cannabis prohibition should be enumerated here, like Gonzales v. Raich is documented and referenced in connection to US prohibition. -SM 12:37, 8 November 2005 (UTC)

Bot report : Found duplicate references !
In the last revision I edited, I found duplicate named references, i.e. references sharing the same name, but not having the same content. Please check them, as I am not able to fix them automatically :) DumZiBoT (talk) 02:51, 11 August 2008 (UTC)
 * "RvLong" :
 * CanLII - 2000 CanLII 5762 (ON C.A.)
 * CanLII - 2007 ONCJ 340 (CanLII)
 * Centre for Constitutional Studies

Position of the NDP on legalization and status within other parties
According to a recent edit, it appears as if there is disagreement over the stance of the NDP on Cannabis rescheduling. Can anyone clarify just what their position really is? My goal is to get a clear position on each political party articulated here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Spudst3r (talk • contribs) 20:20, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

July 13th Legalization in Ontario
Someone needs to provide some sources for the provincial court's decision to strike down cannabis laws in Ontario from July 13th. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.57.49.94 (talk) 20:26, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

Comment:

july 13th of what year? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.177.147.203 (talk) 04:30, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

Comment: this year. the court gave 90 days for the government to respond. this deadline was decided on the 13th of april. So April the 13th + 90 days = July the 13th — Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.63.34.176 (talk) 18:21, 12 July 2011 (UTC)

New Conservative Crime Bill
The final sentence in the introduction states that new crime bills are specifically targeting Marijuana users. I'm not familiar with the bill itself, but the reference does not support this statement. In the given reference, it states the targets of the legislation are "organized criminals and others who profit from the manufacture and distribution of drugs..." Since neither Marijuana or drug users are mentioned in the reference, I believe a new reference which actually supports the statement should be found or the statement should be changed. 130.113.174.54 (talk) 15:58, 25 July 2011 (UTC)

Regarding Ontario, Canada
For some clarity:

Cannabis prohibition was declared of no force or effect in Ontario by the Ontario Court of Appeals in "R v. Parker" July 31 2000. The judge delayed this for 1 year to allow Parliament to legislate a new statute or modify the existing one (should they want to) to deal with cannabis. Parliament never legislated anything (an order-in-council to create medical marihuana access regulations (MMAR) was created, but is not the required legislation that the law requires), and 1 year later cannabis lapsed into legality. This ruling marks the prohibition on cannabis possession as unconstitutional, and is therefore retroactive back to the law's creation (in this case the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, 1996). Cannabis is therefore legal in the jurisdiction of Ontario.

The problem is that the government has completely ignored the court rulings by failing to delete the prohibition from the statute. Courts time and time again, however, agree that there is indeed "no crime known to law" that anyone can commit regarding cannabis possession. In other words - the cops may arrest you or seize your plant, but the court will be on your side should you use the proper defense, and you will get your plant back, and some people have even gotten money for damages.

The map on this article is misleading in that it says cannabis in Ontario is illegal, even though it isn't. I think this is a very unique situation and that there perhaps should be a new category on the map: "legal, but still enforeced as illegal" or something appropriate and similar.

Here is a website that has a list of binding precedents as well as other information: www.ccldr.net

Bottom line: Cannabis is legal in Ontario (dozens of court cases agree), but is enforeced as if it were illegal (still in the law books), and Wikipedia needs to address this accurately. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.235.138.164 (talk) 04:33, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Marijuana is not legal in Ontario. Read the following court case: R. v. MernaghLtsiemens (talk) 05:37, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

Medical Marijuana Legislation

 * Cannabinoids have been found to cure cancer, effectively killing off the mutated cells while leaving the healthy cells alone.[citation needed] This was first discovered at the Virginia Medical School in 1974 when a study to prove THC effects the immune system actually showed that THC has positive effects towards cancer treatment. The DEA shut down the case as quickly as possible and media attention continues to ignore the amazing properties of cannabinoids such as THC and CBD

This section has no citation, is not neutral, and pertains to The US, and not Canada. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.77.179.81 (talk) 03:45, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

Additionally, that section has nothing to do with the legality. Doesn't belong on this page. Ltsiemens (talk) 05:37, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

Angus Reid has removed all cannabis related polls from their site!
These were valuable citations that proved greater than 50% of Canadians want marijuana legalized! Why were these removed? Does anyone know an alternate source to these polls? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.7.211.58 (talk) 12:29, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

The surveys are back on their site so I updated the references to link to the polls themselves instead of articles acknowledging the polls — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.212.85.234 (talk) 09:46, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

Looking for advice to reach b-class article
How can we improve this article to reach b-class for WikiProject Cannabis? I will make the changes myself but am looking for advise on where the article needs improvement — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.224.165.103 (talk) 16:25, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

Anti-Marijuana TV ads
There are now TV ads on Canadian TV against marijuana, coming from Canadian government.

What's that about? Mixed signals or consistent policy?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEuCvUdHDNA--74.58.222.193 (talk) 15:58, 6 December 2014 (UTC)

Wrong Map
In Austria its forbitten to grow, have and to consume canabis.

I highly doubt that is legal to consume Cannabis in North Korea ! 70.31.117.53 (talk) 04:30, 12 January 2014 (UTC)

^You are dead wrong about that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.245.246.16 (talk) 11:56, 16 October 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
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 * Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.angusreidglobal.com/polls/canadian_majority_would_legalize_marijuana1/

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Major edit today, re: legalization
I added new info, with citations from the past 48 hours, as an update. Also, I moved all of the discussion of legalization to a much later spot in the article, to keep it all chronological. Did not change the title of the article, although someone probably should as discussed in the other topic. Peter K Burian (talk) 18:48, 30 November 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
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cannabis or marijuana?
I can't find sources that use the word cannabis, all the sources I am finding seem to prefer the word "marijuana". So I am cleaning up the article with respect to the actual sources. I will note that the current word used by the newly elected prime minister is marijuana. The prime minister writes that one of his goals is: "Working with the Ministers of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Health, create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana". --Potguru (talk) 02:39, 10 May 2016 (UTC)
 * We use the international recognized English scientific term for all cannabis articles (as has been explained many times now)....On a side note  in Canada its marihuana not marijuana.--Moxy (talk) 02:53, 10 May 2016 (UTC)


 * Here in Canada, it is virtually never called cannabis. Always marijuana although some newspapers spell it as marihuana. Do a Google search for Cannabis Canada and you get articles about marijuana with a couple of links to sites about "cannabis" https://www.google.ca/search?q=canada+cannabis&rlz=&gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=CTJAWJmDPMG3jwT9lZuYCw   Peter K Burian (talk) 14:23, 1 December 2016 (UTC)

In Canada: Never called cannabis ... and spelled legalize
Never spelled as legalise Always -ize. Virtually never (except in some discussions of medical) do we refer to it as cannabis. Always as marijuana. Peter K Burian (talk) 19:39, 1 December 2016 (UTC)

Rename Cannabis in Canada or create new article?
90-some countries now have a "Cannabis in [country]" article, but Canada is one of the few exceptions since instead this serves as the main article. We have a couple ways to address this:


 * Leave it as it is now, with Canada the odd-man-out, and Cannabis in Canada redirecting here
 * Re-name this article Cannabis in Canada and allow the content to expand slightly to cover non-legal issues like cannabis history and culture in Canada
 * Start a new article Cannabis in Canada that summarizes a few of the key points made here in sections like Legislation and History, and broaden that article to cover other issues not covered here.

Which do folks prefer? Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 08:07, 30 November 2016 (UTC)
 * Yes, rename it to Cannabis in Canada. Drop the word legal. Peter K Burian (talk) 13:56, 30 November 2016 (UTC)
 * Yup sounds logical to.Moxy (talk) 16:11, 30 November 2016 (UTC)
 * Rename to Cannabis in Canada and let it expand to cover non-legal issues. --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 17:03, 30 November 2016 (UTC)


 * Cool, I've requested the redirect Cannabis in Canada be deleted so we can move this article there. Once that's done, we'll need someone to re-work the WP:Lead section to make it comprehensive and give an overall view of the topic, like current status, when cannabis was first banned, how popular it is in Canada, etc. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 22:34, 30 November 2016 (UTC)


 * Yeah; I did a bit of work on the intro but it does need to be better now that the focus is not only on legal aspects. Peter K Burian (talk) 22:38, 30 November 2016 (UTC)

Some useful recent sources: × Why it's time to legalize marijuana - Macleans.ca .. http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/why-its-time-to-legalize-marijuana/

× Pot's retail therapy: Marijuana market could be bigger than .. http://news.nationalpost.com/features/o-cannabis-retail-therapy

× Marijuana in Canada: Facts & Figures https://www.med.uottawa.ca/sim/data/Marijuana_e.htm

•Estimated number of marijuana users in Canada: 2.3 million •Average age of introduction to marijuana: 15 years old •Number of people aged 12 - 17 who use daily: 225,0005 •10% of regular users develop dependency •Annual Canadian consumption: 770,000 kg. •Annual production: 2.6 million kg. •Amount of domestic production consumed in Canada: 30% •Number of grow operations: 215,000 •Number of people employed in grow operations: 500,000 •Price of 1 ounce of top grade product (enough to produce 20-50 joints: $250 •Annual number of arrests for all offences concerning illegal drugs: 90,000 •Number of reported marijuana offences (1999): 35,000 •Number of reported marijuana offences in 2001: 71,600 (70% for possession) •Annual cost of enforcing marijuana laws (police and courts): $500 million •Estimated annual costs associated with substance abuse in Canada: $1.4 billion for illegal drugs; $7.5 billion for alcohol and $9.6 billion for tobacco.

× http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/marijuana-producer-jumps-356-in-canadas-investor-pot-frenzy/article33100749/. Marijuana producer jumps 356% as Canada’s investor pot frenzy intensifies

× http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/marijuana-advisory-panel-report-questions-1.3872633  .. 8 burning questions about the coming federal pot report - Politics Peter K Burian (talk) 22:54, 30 November 2016 (UTC)


 * I have done a second major update today. There are so many news items about this topic in Canada, it's probably going to be a hot topic. Peter K Burian (talk) 20:08, 2 December 2016 (UTC)

What about the harmful effects?
These have not been mentioned at all; I added a bit about it but not much. Should we not have a full section about that? (I seem to be the only one editing this article but would appreciate feedback at least.)

According to CAMH:

Is marijuana harmful?

Yes. If you smoke marijuana, it can harm you. Many people don’t know this, but marijuana smoke contains more tar and more of some cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke.

Here are some other ways that marijuana use can harm you: •To get the maximum effect, people who smoke marijuana often inhale more deeply and hold the smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers do. This increases the risk of cancer. •Smoking marijuana irritates your lungs and has been linked to chronic cough and bronchitis. It may also make asthma worse. •In people at high risk of developing schizophrenia, marijuana may bring on symptoms earlier. •If you're pregnant, the more marijuana you smoke, the more likely your baby will have problems (such as being too small). •Using a lot of marijuana for a long time may make it harder to pay attention, remember things and learn. •Large doses of marijuana can lead to “toxic psychosis.” This can cause people to hallucinate (see or hear things that aren’t really there), become paranoid (feel like people are out to get them) and believe things that aren’t true. These symptoms usually disappear within a week after the person stops using marijuana. •Marijuana that you buy illegally may contain other drugs, or harmful pesticides or fungus. •You may make decisions while using marijuana that you regret later. '''•Marijuana affects your co-ordination and makes it harder to concentrate and react. This makes it dangerous to do things like ride a bicycle, drive a car or operate machinery.''' Peter K Burian (talk) 20:21, 2 December 2016 (UTC)


 * I've known weed to have more tar than tobacco smoke, but I wouldn't say it has more cancer causing chemicals...most of the time it's natural and they don't add tons of chemicals like cigarettes. I've also read there isn't a well found connection to marijuana and cancer. This article doesn't even talk about that..if it is. I'm not going to pull up any sources, but that's what I've read in the past. Take it with what you will. Vaselineeeeeeee★★★ 20:51, 2 December 2016 (UTC)


 * This is the official Government of Canada statement from the Feds who plan to legalize it. Sounds like there are some risks. http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/healthy-living-vie-saine/substance-abuse-toxicomanie/controlled-drugs-substances-controlees/marijuana/effects-effets-eng.php

Short-term effects

Physical effects of short-term (acute) marijuana use can include:

red eyes, increased heart rate, drop in blood pressure, light-headedness (fainting), heart attack, and stroke. Long-term effects

The physical health effects of marijuana use mainly involve your lungs and heart.

Lung and breathing problems

Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke is a mix of toxic substances. Marijuana smoke irritates the throat and lungs, causes coughing, and is associated with symptoms of bronchitis. Marijuana smoke also contains many of the same cancer-causing materials as tobacco smoke.

Regular marijuana smokers may suffer the same symptoms as tobacco smokers, such as:

chronic (ongoing) cough, increased phlegm buildup in the throat (mucus), frequent chest problems, and greater risk of lung infections. Heart problems

The heart normally beats about 70 to 80 times a minute, but using marijuana can double that rate. This increased rate can put a lot of stress on the heart. Smoking marijuana can also cause an increased risk of stroke. The risks of heart attack or stroke from marijuana use appear to increase with age and with pre-existing heart or blood circulation problems. Pregnancy problems

Women who are pregnant may be particularly at risk for health problems related to marijuana use.

Marijuana smoking during pregnancy has been associated with long-lasting harm to the exposed child's memory and other brain functions as well as hyperactive behaviour. Like alcohol, the toxins in marijuana are carried in the mother's blood to her unborn child. Marijuana use mainly affects the development of the fetus' nerves and brain.

The toxins in marijuana are also carried in breast milk and can be passed to her growing baby.

Studies show that some babies born to women who used marijuana during pregnancy tend to have:

delayed visual responses, shaking, a high-pitched cry, and decreased birth weight. In older children, problems are often seen while they are at school. Exposure to marijuana may affect their:

memory, problem-solving skills, emotional and behavioural responses, and ability to maintain focus and pay attention. Did you know? Studies show that the average level of THC, the principal "mind-altering" component of marijuana, has increased by 300% to 400% over the last few decades. Learn more about marijuana.

Mental effects of marijuana abuse Short-term effects

Mental effects of short-term (acute) marijuana use can include:

loss of short-term memory, impaired ability to focus and pay attention, impaired ability to concentrate and learn, loss of motor coordination, poor reaction time, impaired judgement and ability to think, sleepiness, dizziness, fatigue, psychotic episodes, mild paranoia, anxiety, and fear, panic attacks, perceptual distortions (visual, auditory), severe agitation, disorientation, and confusion. Long-term effects

THC is the substance that is responsible for most of the effects of marijuana. THC levels in marijuana today are much higher than they have been in the past. Some of the harmful effects of marijuana can last for hours, days, weeks, months and even years after last use. Regular long-term marijuana use can:

harm concentration, cause loss of memory, harm the ability to think and make decisions, and decrease IQ. The risks of experiencing these harmful effects increase in those who start using marijuana regularly as a teenager. Youth are especially vulnerable to the health effects of marijuana use, including harmful effects on mental functioning, and psychosis and schizophrenia.

Some people who use marijuana may be at higher risk of developing mental illnesses like psychosis or schizophrenia, including those who:

have a personal or family history of psychosis and/or schizophrenia, start using marijuana young, use marijuana daily or a few times a week, and use marijuana for months or years. Even if a marijuana user does not develop a mental disorder, the drug's effects can ruin school and work performance.

Marijuana addiction Marijuana addiction can have a number of harmful consequences on health, but it can also harm one's social, scholastic, professional and financial future.

Marijuana use that begins early and continues over time can lead to changes in the brain and body that contribute to developing an addiction to marijuana. Once an addiction has developed it may be very hard to stop using marijuana, even though it interferes with daily life.

Marijuana use that begins early in adolescence, that is frequent and that continues over time can lead to addiction. It is estimated that 1 in 9 marijuana users will develop an addiction to marijuana.

This number rises to about 17% for people who started using marijuana as a teenager. If a user smokes marijuana daily, the risk goes up to between 25-50%. (I am NOT a medical guy so I cannot comment on any of this but I suspect marijuana may not be all that good for the body.) Peter K Burian (talk) 20:55, 2 December 2016 (UTC)


 * I added a link to another Wikipedia article Effects of cannabis. This should be adequate for the purposes of the Canada article. Peter K Burian (talk) 17:31, 4 December 2016 (UTC)

Finished Editing
I believe this article is fully up to date now. This topic is in the news daily in Canada so I assume Canadians will appreciate the full info in the article. Peter K Burian (talk) 19:33, 4 December 2016 (UTC)

This article reads like shit now. It seriously is lacking impartiality, and that cannabis flag photo is fucking stupid. You need to keep editing until it is more neutral. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.175.6.140 (talk) 02:44, 6 December 2016‎


 * If you can find any Creative Commons-licensed images that communicates both "cannabis" and "Canada" be my guest, but I didn't have any luck finding any. Which sections in particular are you concerned about for POV? Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 02:47, 6 December 2016 (UTC)


 * Well, frankly, it was not my intent to do an entire rewrite. Who the heck is the anonymous person who feels it reads like shit?


 * My intent was to update it. (talk) '''What would we need to do to make it more neutral?? User:Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney: I value your opinion more than that of an anonymous person.
 * Who am I? I'm the one who researched all the sources of those Canadian polls, and each of Justin Trudeau's claims to legalize marijuana. I've edited this article for years and I'm embarrassed about how it reads today. It's always had a neutrality problem, but it was x10 worse until I fixed it today. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.175.6.140 (talk) 03:55, 6 December 2016 (UTC)

 FACTS:''' 1. 70% of Canadians support the legalization. 2. ALL of the political parties in Canada support it. 3. The legislation will happen in 2017. 4. I have discussed the negative aspects of cannabis from a health and road safety aspect with citations for both. (Does this topic need a separate section with more specifics of the drawbacks of cannabis?)

Peter K Burian (talk) 03:11, 6 December 2016 (UTC)


 * Someone deleted that photo of the boat with the cannabis flag. Now we have no photos at all. Peter K Burian (talk) 03:25, 6 December 2016 (UTC)
 * That photo is a fucking disaster that makes Canadians look like retards. Choose one with a bit of dignity, and more relevance than a joke flag at a fucking regatta. WHO GIVES A SHIT!?Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.175.6.140 (talk)


 * Article looking much better....lead is a bit odd....I move one thing around (no need to start with the guess work..state the facts)...but it still needs some work. Peter i will look for an image.  Would also be nice if the  IP editor could upgrade his collaboration efforts here. --Moxy (talk) 04:50, 6 December 2016 (UTC)


 * I categorized more photos, so now there are 38 images at c:Category:Cannabis_in_Canada, do you see one you like better? Honestly, the "Canadian flag with cannabis leaf" shows up in a ton of the shots from Canada Day 2014, and it certainly gets the point across. Take a look. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 04:51, 6 December 2016 (UTC)


 * Something like this is very strong and gets the message across: https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/queenspark/2016/12/03/trudeau-urges-police-to-enforce-the-law-on-marijuana/woman-smokes-joint.jpg.size.custom.crop.884x650.jpg. I'll go take an original if there's none we can recycle.

Article could use some 1960s-1990s history
I notice there's a pretty big gap in the history, like did cannabis start getting big in the 1960s, and how? I've filled in similar gaps in Cannabis in the United Kingdom and Cannabis in New Zealand, explaining how a niche drug became mainstream, and something similar for a paragraph or so would be a useful addition here. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 09:15, 16 December 2016 (UTC)


 * I added a "popularization" section but it could use expansion, particularly as regards the cultural reasons why cannabis use skyrocketed. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 21:03, 16 December 2016 (UTC)


 * Hmm..yes, but I am more competent in updating recent content than something that happened 40 years ago. Will see if I can find a few articles that discuss the topic. Peter K Burian (talk) 21:15, 16 December 2016 (UTC)


 * OK, I have found some useful articles. Will write additional content for Popularization on the weekend when I have time to do so. e.g.http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/sen/committee/371/ille/library/spicer-e.htm#B Peter K Burian (talk) 21:57, 16 December 2016 (UTC)

Done; there is not a great deal of valid information available on-line, but I found enough to beef up the Popularization section. Peter K Burian (talk) 17:59, 17 December 2016 (UTC)


 * The more I thought about it, the more I realized there was no value in two sections discussing the popularization. So, I moved all the content from the old Popularity section which I then deleted. However, should the Popularization section not be moved to a spot much later in this article? I will leave that decision to Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney. Peter K Burian (talk) 20:59, 17 December 2016 (UTC)

Removed citekill re polling data
The fact about increasing polling had something like twenty cites; I just left the oldest one and most current one. Just in case we need more sources later, here are the ones I removed:

While there may be some utility to having a polling section, having twenty cites for an extremely general summary wasn't useful. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 09:09, 16 December 2016 (UTC)


 * Yeah, there were far too many citations. Peter K Burian (talk) 15:23, 16 December 2016 (UTC)

that hurts. It took many hours over many years for me to find all of those polls you know. I think they have value somewhere. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.140.238.76 (talk) 03:38, 4 January 2017 (UTC)


 * Hello, nothing personal, it's just that per WP:CITEKILL it's just not done to have dozen footnotes for one fact. I have preserved all the links you found here, and among other possibilities, it could be useful for making a chart of cannabis opinion over time, showing how survey results changed by year, so it's by no means a total loss. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 06:02, 23 January 2017 (UTC)

Time to subdivide Legal history of cannabis in Canada?
I know that this article long stood at Legal history of cannabis in Canada before we moved it to Cannabis in Canada, but with over 100 citations, this article is getting kind of long. In parallel with Legal history of cannabis in the United States, do folks things we should take some of the content at Cannabis_in_Canada and just summarize it here and move the details to the separate article? This is not casting aspersions on the move, just noting that we have a large body of content and it may be good to start splitting it up, especially as this main page may be subject to a lot of expansion in 2017 as new laws come into effect in Canada. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 05:55, 23 January 2017 (UTC)


 * I am in favour of anything that would get rid of the massive section on old court cases that are less and less relevant these days. Peter K Burian (talk) 13:52, 23 January 2017 (UTC)
 * How about this alternative? Keep the Cannabis in Canada article, retaining the older content. Briefly mention that it will be legalized in 2017. AND refer the reader to a new article that we would start. Legalization of Cannabis in Canada. Move the Legalization, Commodity and Political parties sections to that one. And going forward, only update the new Legalization of Cannabis in Canada article. Peter K Burian (talk) 13:57, 23 January 2017 (UTC)
 * I think keeping this as the main article for the most-current information is more intuitive for readers/seekers. I just suggest splicing off any excess material onto a separate History article, parallel to Legal history of cannabis in the United States. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 00:02, 3 February 2017 (UTC)
 * I think keeping this as the main article for the most-current information is more intuitive for readers/seekers. I just suggest splicing off any excess material onto a separate History article, parallel to Legal history of cannabis in the United States. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 00:02, 3 February 2017 (UTC)

OK thanks Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney; good idea. Will do so soon unless we get some disagreement here. Peter K Burian (talk) 01:48, 3 February 2017 (UTC)

Communist Party?
This article http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/who-the-other-parties-are-1.726480 explains the position of numerous parties but the Communist Party is not even mentioned. I cannot find any evidence of the Party's stance on cannabis with a google search. And there is none in the Communist Party of Canada article either. Peter K Burian (talk) 22:00, 2 February 2017 (UTC)


 * Not a word about cannabis in the full 2015 Platform either. http://communist-party.ca/platform Peter K Burian (talk) 22:04, 2 February 2017 (UTC)

They are a small party and do not have a developed stance on every issue. If you really want to find out I suppose you could contact them somewhere and ask directly. Brettwardo (talk) 02:23, 3 February 2017 (UTC)

THIS IS THE NEW PAGE ABOUT THIS TOPIC
As the Talk page indicates, it was agreed that the 2016 and subsequent measures to legalize cannabis for recreational use should be covered in detail in this article, Cannabis in Canada and that a new article should be created to cover older history: i.e. Legal history of cannabis in Canada ...keeping CANNABIS IN CANADA as the main article for the most-current information is more intuitive for readers/seekers. I just suggest splicing off any excess material onto a separate History article, parallel to Legal history of cannabis in the United States. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney

I have moved a great deal of content to the new article: Legal history of cannabis in Canada. STILL A DARAFT. AWAITING REVIEW TO GET IT PUBLISHED - SOON, I HOPE.

THE DRAFT Legal history of cannabis in Canada. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Legal_history_of_cannabis_in_Canada

The Cannabis in Canada article now has only a bit of historical background, but most of the content is about developments toward legalization in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Peter K Burian (talk) 18:31, 4 February 2017 (UTC)


 * Here is another explanation of what has been done, also posted to the TALK page at Legal history of cannabis in Canada


 * .... we agreed there that we needed two articles:


 * 1. A discussion of the history of cannabis with all of the important court decisions, etc. over many years. Now, Legal history of cannabis in Canada contains all of that - pulled from Cannabis in Canada. There is only a bit of content about the steps being taken in 2015, 2016 and 2017 to legalize marijuana.


 * 2. The discussion of the many steps that are being taken to legalize marijuana for recreational use. That started recently, in 2015 and will conclude by late 2017 or early 2018. This more recent content - without the old history - is now the Cannabis in Canada article. Peter K Burian (talk) 22:07, 4 February 2017 (UTC)

Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney - I need HELP! ... Problem solved now
HELP! I created a new topic, Legal history of Cannabis in Canada as you suggested. It seemed to get published. But when I do a Search Wikipedia for that topic, it goes to Cannabis in Canada. Why??

I had previously created an article with an incorrect title Legal history of cannabis in the Canada. The word the in that title is an error!! That one DOES contain all the content that should be in Legal history of Cannabis in Canada but the title is incorrect.

No idea how to proceed from here. If there were a method to remove the word the from Legal history of cannabis in the Canada that would solve the problem, but there is no such method, as far as I know. HELP!

P.S. Cannabis in Canada is now the page with the content mostly about 2016: legalization process. The Legal history article is the long one with all the old history and old court cases. Peter K Burian (talk) 19:12, 4 February 2017 (UTC)


 * It's because there's already a redirect page page for "Legal history of cannabis in Canada". This redirect page makes it impossible to move the page you created "Legal history of cannabis in the Canada" to the latter name without the "the". You may have to request a merger of the two pages. Vaselineeeeeeee★★★ 20:05, 4 February 2017 (UTC)


 * I have no idea who solved it or how, but suddenly the page Legal history of cannabis in Canada does exist. (So does Legal history of cannabis in the Canada ...Strange but true. Peter K Burian (talk) 21:53, 4 February 2017 (UTC)


 * Thanks to who responded to your request at WP:Requested moves/Technical requests moved the redirect page that was causing the moving issue to "Legal history of cannabis in Canada (version 2)" so it was then possible to move "Legal history of cannabis in the Canada" rightfully to "Legal history of cannabis in Canada". "Legal history of cannabis in the Canada" still exists as a redirect page now. A little convoluted, but I think that's how it was done. All is well now anyway. Vaselineeeeeeee★★★ 22:03, 4 February 2017 (UTC)


 * Thanks for that info User:Vaselineeeeeeee; I have thanked him on his Talk page. Peter K Burian (talk) 22:13, 4 February 2017 (UTC)

Neutral article?
Just reading the article and found it a bit biased. I'm nor pro nor against legalization... I just think it emphasizing a little bit too much on Canadians being pro-legalization. I'm not a Wiki expert but I'm sure we can work this out to make more "encyclopedic"!

The link at the bottom look more like advertising to me then real info, especially the "medicalmarihuana" one.

Maybe I'm not the most knowledgeable person that said! 99.245.234.66 (talk) 00:14, 28 April 2008 (UTC) 99.245.234.66 (talk) 00:15, 28 April 2008 (UTC) Xiaozhuli


 * I agree this article is crazy biased in favor of legalization, and could really use some work.38.119.98.196 (talk) 14:27, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

I also agree that this is not a neutral article. It seems no one else has commented in the past few years. Perhaps someone should take some time to clean it up? Ltsiemens (talk) 05:37, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

-The article is describing the current Canadian's majority position on Cannabis. This is biased in favour of marijuhana and its legalization. There is nothing wrong with that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.34.179.76 (talk) 11:44, 15 February 2017 (UTC)

Populating new Timeline of cannabis in Canada
I've created Timeline of cannabis in Canada which is largely a simple re-hash of this and related articles. I invite others to help build it by splicing in content (just mention in Edit Summary which article you copied content from) and keep it concise. Thanks for any help! Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 17:47, 26 April 2017 (UTC)
 * Article has been deleted as redundant. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 11:41, 23 December 2017 (UTC)

Since August, Cannabis in Canada is our highest-viewed by-country cannabis article!
Per WMFLabs Pageviews it seems that since August 2017 or so, Cannabis in Canada is now the most-viewed by-country cannabis article, beating out Cannabis in the United States. Congrats to all the folks who've worked so hard on this article and on Legal history of cannabis in Canada. To build on this high interest, and in parallel with the US category tree, WPCannabis is almost done making articles on cannabis for each individual territory and province (and Indian reserves) with a capstone article listing proposed cannabis laws by-province.

Great work to everyone, and if you see content that would be better-placed at the "by province" articles you can go ahead and distribute that down the tree, and vice-versa. I don't see this train slowing down anytime over the next 12 months, so let us all keep on the ball to prevent vandalism and continuously improve coverage. Mad props. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 11:46, 23 December 2017 (UTC)

Maybe a section on Industrial hemp in Canada?
Should be enough interesting info for a paragraph at least. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 23:20, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

What will Canada's new laws be for children under 18–19?
I'm seeing some trend pop up in social media and blog commentators, saying that under Canada's new laws, anyone over 12 will be allowed to carry limited amounts of cannabis around, consume it, distribute it to their friends, just not buy it from a store. That sounds a little weird to me, but could someone clarify what the actual plan is for underage use in Canada?

Is there some accusation that there's a weird loophole under which underage persons can't be prevented from using cannabis in Canada, or is there some actual deliberate policy saying "if you're over 12, you can use cannabis"?

It doesn't seem to pass the smell test to me; underage drinking of alcohol is illegal and punishable in Canada, right? Are there not parallel laws for cannabis proposed? I'm just curious if this whole "legal for 12yr olds!" thing is complete malarkey, has got some truth to it, or is actually the case. I feel kind of silly even asking, but I've seen it pop up enough on social media that it's got me curious. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 12:32, 22 February 2018 (UTC)
 * Yup...BS Adults 18 and older will be able to legally buy and cultivate small amounts of marijuana for personal use, while selling the drug to a minor will become a serious new criminal offence under the federal Liberal government’s proposed new legal-pot regime..and.....Introduction of the Cannabis Act: Questions and Answers.
 * Side note term marihuana droped replaced with fresh cannabis, --Moxy (talk) 13:18, 22 February 2018 (UTC)
 * Okay, did a little digging, and both the rep from REAL Women Canada and also Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu (Sarnia-Lambton ON) have been hammering this same point. The blog/journal/? Straight offers a debunk:

"When she speaks of 12-year-olds possessing 15 joints, she's referring to the part of the Cannabis Act that makes it illegal "for a young person to possess cannabis... equivalent to more than five grams". This provision has been put in place so that in the event that a minor is busted for possession, they're not subjected to harsh penalties. As Raybould told Gladu after she made her statement, it does not to make it legal for them to carry less than five grams. source"


 * So I take it the rule is that if someone underage has a small amount of cannabis, they're going to get some limited penalty (citation? fine? taken home to their parents for butt-chewing?), but if it's over 5g they're subject to harsher criminal penalties? That appears to clear that up, though I do submit a small section on underage use might be useful, whether here or on the C45 page. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 14:18, 22 February 2018 (UTC)

After this summer, make a chart at Legality of cannabis by Canadian jurisdiction?
I'm basing this idea on Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction and Legality of cannabis by country.

After the bill goes through and cannabis becomes legal nationwide, clearly we won't need a chart saying whether recreational/medical is legal in a given Canadian place since it'll be legal nationwide, but would it be useful to have a chart (with a color scheme other then green-yellow-red) to show the consumption age by province, who is allowed to run the stores, and whether they have internet sales? Or whatever other criteria would be useful to have for the columns. Thoughts? Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 08:03, 9 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Another editor made a chart at Cannabis laws of Canada by province or territory. Goonsquad LCpl Mulvaney (talk) 05:29, 1 June 2018 (UTC)

Links to information that should be added
Two articles that directly link to a few of the headings in this article are:

http://www.ndp.ca/page/1277

Relates to: "Proposed federal decriminalization"

"The September 30, 2002, Speech from the Throne indicated that the federal government would consider the possibility of the decriminalization of marijuana possession. However, since then the government has been clear that the changes found in Bill C-10 do not mean decriminalization of marijuana."

The NDP support full decriminalization, but reject policies of lowering fines, based on the idea that "lowering, but not eliminating, a punishment results in more punishment. It's called the "net-widening effect."

http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4482.html

Relates to: "History of prohibition of cannabis in Canada"

Mainly the 1987 bill that made it illegal to distribute books and any printed matter about marijuana or any ‘illicit’ drug, including magazines "High Times" and "Grow Yer Own Stone". The impact of this bill could be regarded as enormous. No printed matter about marijuana. This would have severely stunted the legalization movement. Compare this to today, where in major retailers such as Chapters and Indigo, you can find books with recipies for hash brownies.

Relates to: "Early legalization efforts"

The article details the legalization efforts since the early 1990s, detailing Marc Emery's campaign to reverse that bill and to get marijuana legalized, including putting ads in the newspaper openly calling for himself to be arrested. Marc Emery was arrested 4 times, not including his current arrest by the DEA for distrobuting (over 60,000) seeds online, for which the US government gives a maximum penalty of death.

Someone should add the information from these articles into this Cannabis legalization article


 * I was perplexed by "the power to determine the method of distribution and sale, whether homeowners may grow their own plants, and whether cannabis use will be legal inside private residence or homes". That sounds as if growing is for homeowners only, not tenants. Surely this cannot be right?! 2001:8003:A928:800:713B:2DE3:C441:49E5 (talk) 06:38, 24 June 2018 (UTC)


 * it should say 4 plants per household. Peter K. Burian, 24 June 2018

The lead is too long
WP:MOSLEAD states: "The lead should stand on its own as a concise overview of the article's topic...As a general rule of thumb, a lead section should contain no more than four well-composed paragraphs and be carefully sourced as appropriate."

For example, the discussion of how the Bill was bounced back and forth between the House and Senate does not need to be in the lead. There should be a section discussing that. Peter K Burian (talk) 12:00, 20 June 2018 (UTC)


 * The opening sentence is still this "In Canada as of early 2018, cannabis – often referred to as marihuana or marijuana – is legal only for medicinal purposes and only under conditions outlined in the  Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). " But that supporting reference is dated March 20, 2017. Is that all still true? As of June 20, I thought the law had now been changed. Has no-one considered this as an item for WP:ITN? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 12:29, 20 June 2018 (UTC)

I updated the first sentence and another part of the lead. Thanks for the suggestion Martinevans123; (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that Canadians will be able to consume marijuana recreationally without criminal penalties starting on Oct. 17, 2018. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cannabis-pot-legalization-bill-1.4713839 )

But the entire lead is too long; the discussion of the process with the House and Senate belongs in a later section. Peter K Burian (talk) 19:29, 20 June 2018 (UTC)


 * I agree. Martinevans123 (talk) 19:54, 20 June 2018 (UTC)


 * I will work on it when I have an hour to do so. Cheers. User:Peter K Burian 20:12, 20 June 2018


 * I have condensed the lead; deleted a bit of the bouncing around the Senate and House and moved the last paragraph about the provinces to a later section of the article. Peter K Burian (talk) 16:53, 2 July 2018 (UTC)

Reply to Moxy's question about external link
asked if this external link should be included in the "External Links" section of the article: https://mjnexpress.ca/buy-weed-online-legally-in-canada/. My reaction is that it should not, because it's contrary to two of the criteria in External Links: Links Normally to be Avoided:
 * 5. Individual web pages that primarily exist to sell products or services,...
 * 14. Lists of links to manufacturers, suppliers or customers.

Just my 2 sous. --Mr Serjeant Buzfuz (talk) 06:08, 26 October 2018 (UTC)

Cannabis is not legal in Canada
If it were, you could carry as much as you want (you can't), grow as many plants as you want (you can't), sell as much as you want (you can't), import it (you can't), etc. ad nauseam. The fact that "Moxy" is goaltending every page related to this topic, without actually READING THE LAW OR CITATIONS, is simply proof that this website is ultimately trash. Any editors have the guts to fix this? Apparently, every edit made by "anonymous" editors will simply be Wiki-wiped away by scumbags with an agenda, smeared with Wiki-pejoratives like "RGW". 174.89.132.146 (talk) 20:53, 24 November 2018 (UTC)
 * I think he's got a bit of a point (although he's very rude), but it is still labelled as legal recreational use. The other restrictions are detailed further down, but that still doesn't mean that cannabis is not legal for recreational use. Police would have no way of knowing if you bought the weed from a legal source or not if you were walking down the street smoking it. In general, cannabis is legal for recreational use, so I think the version that has been there before the IP edit still makes the most sense. <b style="color:black">Vaseline</b><b style="color:lightgrey">eeeeeee</b>★★★ 22:01, 24 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Just like alcohol it is regulated..... responsibility for enacting laws and regulations regarding the sale and distribution of cannabis in Canada is the responsibility of the ten provinces. Canada's three territories have also been granted similar autonomy over these matters under the provisions of federal legislation. Just like we don't have bathtub Jubilee anymore or toilet bowl Screech because now that it's regulated we have standards. This is the basis for legalization of any substance. A good example is having labels on medication bottles... I take it everyone's knows you can't have medication in unmarked bottles. This is what legalization means..it comes regulations. ..... this is one of the reasons why they chose legalization instead of just decriminalization because as an intelligent well developed country... Society demands that it be regulated and not left to the whim of morons.-Moxy (talk) 22:04, 24 November 2018 (UTC)
 * OK added and fixed what was there a bit with the IP's ref...to explain what I said above in the article. "This legalization comes with regulation similar to that of alcohol in Canada, limiting home production, distribution, consumption areas and sale times. The process remove cannabis possession for personal consumption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; while implementing taxation and strengthen punishment of those convicted of either supplying cannabis to minors, or of impairment while driving a motor vehicle. "--Moxy (talk) 22:54, 24 November 2018 (UTC)

Edibles/concentrates/topicals/etc date delayed until December
Health Canada moved the date back a couple months for cannabis edibles/concentrates/topicals/etc. Mayeb someone else has some time to update the inaccuracies in this page related to this and other stuff? ...I'd do it myself if only I had more time but I'm too busy getting high. (Kidding!) 😜

Some relevant links that are reputable sources and/or link to one or more: 
 * https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2019/06/health-canada-finalizes-regulations-for-the-production-and-sale-of-edible-cannabis-cannabis-extracts-and-cannabis-topicals.html
 * https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/resources/regulations-edible-cannabis-extracts-topicals.html
 * https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/edibles-legalize-cannabis-rules-1.5175689
 * https://www.canada.ca/en/services/health/campaigns/cannabis.html
 * https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/programs/consultation-strict-regulation-edible-cannabis-extracts-topicals.html
 * https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/13-610-x/13-610-x2018001-eng.htm
 * https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/190815/dq190815a-eng.htm — Preceding unsigned comment added by Robledoux (talk • contribs) 11:14, 8 October 2019 (UTC)
 * The date isn't actually "pushed back", the date that it becomes legal to apply for a license to produce and sell edible cannabis products remains 17 October 2019, but applying for a license has a 60-day waiting period. Therefore even though they will be legal, none can be sold until mid-December. (See the first link above). That's not actually a change, but we can probably do a better job of explaining it in the article. Ivanvector (Talk/Edits) 13:35, 8 October 2019 (UTC)

Cannabis variation of Canadian flag
I can't be the only one that thinks this does not belong on the main sidebar for the topic of cannabis in Canada on an encyclopedia. As far as I can tell it does not have in official use in any kind of political lobby and is essentially a stoner meme. I believe a simple cannabis leaf image would be a more appropriate and mature choice. Thoughts? Pjor1 (talk) 06:16, 31 October 2019 (UTC)

Normal symbol in Canada

Also used internationally Academic use
 * theglobeandmail
 * macleans
 * ctvnews
 * marketplace
 * globalnews
 * BBC
 * washingtonpost
 * Wall Street Journal
 * jstor
 * -- Moxy 🍁 05:27, 16 April 2020 (UTC)