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xxdr_zombiexx

Canadian Cannabis Chronology
CanWest News Service | Sunday, March 07, 2004

1908 The new Opium and Narcotic Act creates the framework for prohibiting illicit drug use in Canada.

1922 Social reformer Emily Murphy's book The Black Candle sounds an alarm about drug addiction in Canada. One chapter is devoted to "Marahuana: A New Menace."

[zombienote: A notoriously racist book. A dark racist splotch on Canada's vastly more humanist history should have.]


1923 The addition of "Cannabis Indica" to the federal schedule of prohibited drugs makes marijuana illegal in Canada.

1932 Marijuana cigarettes are seized by police for the first time.

1938 Reflecting "reefer madness" scare, Toronto Daily Star runs story from U.S. headlined, Marijuana Smokers Seized With Sudden Craze to Kill.

[zombienote: Hmmm...nothing happened of significance for 28 years? America had it's "Hemp for Victory" operation to assist in WWII. Thats does seem noteworthy...]

1961 Canada signs UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs, toughens laws for possessing, cultivating and importing marijuana.

1966 The number of cannabis-related offences nationally exceeds 100 for the first time.

1973 With thousands of young Canadians being convicted annually for smoking pot, the federal Le Dain Commission recommends ending criminal charges for marijuana possession. The report is not implemented.

1980 A growing consensus in Canada on decriminalizing marijuana possession is derailed by U.S. declaration of war on drugs under new president Ronald Reagan.

1984 New Brunswick premier Richard Hatfield is charged -- but later acquitted -- of possessing marijuana after a small bag of dope is found in his luggage just before being loaded onto a plane during a royal visit by Queen Elizabeth.

1992 Marijuana activist Umberto Iorfida is charged with promoting use of illicit drugs. The case is thrown out of court two years later by a judge who rules it an infringement of free speech.

1992 Federal Conservative government introduces bill to double penalties for marijuana possession, but it dies when they are defeated in 1993 election.

1998 Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati is stripped of his Olympic gold medal after testing positive in Nagano, Japan, for trace levels of THC, marijuana's chief intoxicant. The decision is reversed a day later after Rebagliati claims he inhaled second-hand smoke at a party.

2000 The Ontario Court of Appeal declares the federal law prohibiting the possession of marijuana unconstitutional and gives Ottawa a year to amend it. The legislation is deemed a violation of the rights of sick people using marijuana for medicinal purposes.

2001(July) Canada becomes the first country in the world to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

2002 Special Senate Committee on illegal drugs sparks national debate by recommending legalization of marijuana.

2003 Ontario judge rules Canada's law on possession of small amounts of marijuana is no longer valid, dismisses charges against Windsor, Ont., youth.

2004 Liberal government introduces Bill C-10, which decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana.

© The Calgary Herald 2004

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Alien Space Signal

There's no money for your issue so long as we're squandering $50 billion a year on the DrugWar. Ben Masel

Fear became the ultimate tool of this government - V.

 

Suetaz

I am a proud (stoned) Canadian!!!!!

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GrooveGuardian

Legilisation could be going faster. But meh, ill be high regardless.

mizzou

Although Canada seems to have had a more progressive and positive attitude over the years to change, it seems most of the decriminilization measures have occured over the last four years. I hope the climate here in the U.S. is shifting towards a more progressive mindset as well, it seems to be. In response to this the Government is blatantly lieing and increasing the propaganda to scare us into submission. They want scared, closed minded, greedy, easily controlled citizens who buy a bunch of stuff, nothing more. I have alot of respect for the Canadian people and their Govt, it seems to have its citizens liberties and welfare as its main concerns. The U.S. Govt is so crippled by special interest corruption, all laws are passed on the basis of whether these new laws will be benificial to big business and the very wealthy, not whether they will benifit ordinary citizens. Marijuana prohibition is a perfect example of this. Although relatively benign even compared to most legal drugs, it is demonized and lied about to protect the pharmaceutical companies and the DEAs enormous budget, much the same way hemp is so that textile and petrolium interests are spared competition from far superior products. This effects all U.S. citizens, cannabis smoker or not. We are being lied to, and our interests are not being served by those we trust and pay to do so. Change can happen, the Canadian situation shows that it can occur very rapidly as well. People in The U.S. are waking up to the realization that our Government is being controlled by special interest groups, and it seems there are things being done about it. It is a issue Kerry is campaigning for president on. Now is the perfect time to get the message out about the farce that is marijuana prohibition.

hiphex18

In the USA about 30% of the voters will simply have to die off before it's legalized. The war on drugs and cannabis in particular, as bad as it is, is wildly popular still, and any politician who even hints at loosening the gauntlet is rode out of office on a rail.