# The Canadian Senate are pot pushers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadian-senate-are-pot-pushers/127058 "2002-09-05T01:32:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadian-senate-are-pot-pushers/127058/21 "2002-09-05T18:15:47Z")
America junior is starting to experiment with drugs, next thing you know they will be skipping school, thier grades will drop, they’ll start disrespecting thier elders and staying out too late. Actually, sounds like a good idea to me. And just think of the tourist trade it will bring. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadian-senate-are-pot-pushers/127058/22 "2002-09-05T19:12:26Z")
Charmian, thanks for the clarification. Yeah, you’re right - you have to take your neighbouring countries into account. Athough the Netherlands really didn’t when they implemented the current system: and apart from the occasional jab from French, British and German conservatives, it doesn’t seem to have harmed us all that much. Au contraire, judging by the tourism industry. But it’s not a fully comparable situation, I realise that. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadian-senate-are-pot-pushers/127058/23 "2002-09-05T19:31:56Z")
I was elated to hear this, but didn’t realize it was Canada at first. I didn’t realize Canada had a Senate. So I actually wondered if it could be the U.S. where that was happening. Not that I don’t realize that the current cultural and political climate in the U.S. would make that completely impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Friendly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr\_Friendly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Friendly)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadian-senate-are-pot-pushers/127058/24 "2002-09-05T19:42:50Z")
we’ll see…the general trend these days seems to be towards progresive drugs policy rather than the extreme reactionary approach favoured by America, sure pot may not be in the shops too soon in Canada but let’s not rule it out. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadian-senate-are-pot-pushers/127058/25 "2002-09-05T19:46:45Z")
**Coldfire** , I’d like to get your input on the words of wisdom (or is it wiseassdom) from John Walters from [this article](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/front/RTGAM/20020905/wxmari09042/Front/homeBN/breakingnews) : > [@](#): > > John Walters, director of the U.S. National Drug Control Policy and President George W. Bush’s drug czar, issued a statement from the White House disputing the report’s findings that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. > > “We know that marijuana is a harmful drug, particularly for young people,” he said. “We also know that if you make it more available, you’ll get more marijuana use. More use leads to more addiction and more problems. That’s why we’re focusing on informing people about the harms of marijuana.” According to this, and we all know that the US knows what is best for everyone else, your country should be overflowing with layabouts and addicts and other ne’erdowells. How is it you people get anything done, or could it just be that the war on drugs, at least with regard to marijuana, is misguided? In a more serious vein, there was a study prepared by some Canadian doctors several years ago for a WHO conference. The study showed that there were few long term health risks associated with smoking pot. The US used undue political pressure to keep the report under wraps. This was widely reported in Canadian papers at the time, however I am currently unable to find a cite for it. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadian-senate-are-pot-pushers/127058/26 "2002-09-05T20:01:07Z")
Ah, John Walters. He visited Amsterdam a few years ago, and was toured around by our mayor, who proudly showed him the coffee shops, the red light district, and the general ease with which all these factors blend in to normal society. Upon return, Walters published an article completely tearing the Dutch drug policy to shreds. Obviously, the man was uncovinced of the effectiveness of the Dutch policy. Is he right? Take a look at [this direct comparison](http://www.drugwarfacts.org/thenethe.htm) between a few vital drugrelated statistics in the US and the Netherlands. In my humble opinion, which -unlike mr Walters’- is supported by facts, our esteemed Weed Fighter is full of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadian-senate-are-pot-pushers/127058/27 "2002-09-05T21:54:39Z")
I know that here in Edmonton right now marijuana is just a fine if you have over 1/8th or it’s all in individual baggies (indicating you’re dealing) Under an 1/8th will usually get you a warning and your stash taken away. I haven’t experienced the truth of this myself as I don’t usually carry (my stash stays hidden at home unless I’m going out with friends who smoke too) and I don’t smoke that often. I get only small amounts and that lasts me quite awhile, but then we’ve been short on green for awhile here. No money to buy any. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadian-senate-are-pot-pushers/127058.md?page=1)