Cannabis prohibition has failed
The federal Liberal party is advocating for the legalization of marijuana in Canada. Interim leader Bob Rae said “… the war on drugs has been a complete bust.” Two SFU profs agree this is a step in the right direction. “The party platform will need to be more nuanced than simply recommending legalization and regulation, given the international context in which Canada must work,” says SFU criminology professor Neil Boyd. “The former Bill C-17, put forward by the Paul Martin Liberals, may be a good place to start. In any event, the spirit of the recommendation – a move to refrain from criminalizing the possession of cannabis by Canadian adults – is certainly sound.”

His colleague, SFU health sciences professor Benedikt Fischer, says it’s a positive sign to see the Liberals recognize the costly failures of cannabis prohibition. “The concrete challenge is to translate this intent into solid and meaningful policy plan details and practice,” says Fischer. “However, there is a substantive amount of groundwork done by Canadian researchers that can readily be used and built on. Of course, the actual resolve of the Liberal Party's idea remains to be tested, which can only happen when they are elected back into government responsibility.”

Neil Boyd, SFU criminology, 778.782.3324, nboyd@sfu.ca
Benedikt Fischer, SFU health sciences, 778.782.5274, bfa11@sfu.ca