A non-official political party in Canada seeking an end to cannabis prohibition through legislative means. The party platform includes many radical changes to Canadian law as well as logical arguments for their cause.

Legislation to end cannabis prohibition include:

  • Immediate removal of all criminal sanctions relating to cannabis.
  • Organise a public consultation concerning the end of cannabis prohibition that will respect the democratic principles of our free market society and solicit workable models for legal marijuana.
  • Replace Canada's controlled substance act with a more sensible policy and, if need be, announce Canada's formal intention to withdraw from all the UN's conventions on psychoactive substances.
  • Consult the provinces in order to study the possibility of having cannabis legislated at the provincial level. This would allow consideration for each region's cultural particularities with regards to cannabis. If necessary, hold a referendum on the marijuana legalisation issue in Canada.
  • Free all prisoners held for marijuana infractions, pardon all Canadians with criminal records and permanently remove all the data regarding these records from any files. Offer retribution for their seized cannabis products and an official apology from the Canadian government.
  • Use all the legal means available to promote this message and develop pressure tactics to incite public and private organisations in taking an official stance.

Arguments for legalizing marijuana include:

  • Prohibition is an infringement on the human rightsand freedoms of the people of our nation, it threatens individuals' security by limiting them to a criminal network for supply. It also undermines the possibility of promoting the concept of responsible use.
  • A consequence of prohibition is that several individuals have a criminal record solely for cannabis infractions. These individual's lives are permanently scarred by a criminal record that can limit opportunities for employment, travel or certain fields of study. Ending cannabis prohibition would eliminate the stigma and the alienation of these individuals by no longer labelling them as criminals. A society that claims to be based on justice and law cannot tolerate these prohibitionist policies.
  • Industrial hemp presents numerous advantages for the environment but prohibition of recreational marijuana is responsible for the excessive control measures on growing hemp. This means that hemp farming is not on a level playing field with other agricultural products. Our policies would serve to reduce the gaps in this field and to encourage a progressive industrial re-conversion to hemp based products.
  • Our tolerant policies would attract large numbers of tourists. The economic advantages to our society would be enormous.
  • Ending cannabis prohibition would also help create employment in a new area of commerce, the cannabis industry, and generate new sources of revenue for our nation.

Ways which they would defend the victims of cannabis prohibition include:

  • Create a legal defence fund that could offer resources to those who are victims of cannabis prohibition and particularly those who wish to contest the accusation.
  • Build a network of collaborators that can act together and mobilise so we can finally be heard collectively.

Other ways in which the party would help their cause:

  • Promote international policy. The evils caused by prohibition transcend the geographic, economic or demographic borders of Canada and have assumed global proportions. The Party seeks to promote ending cannabis prohibition in Canada and subsequently pressure the international community into acting responsibly by adopting similar policies.
  • Offer immediate access to medicinal cannabis. Besides reducing the health risk associated with the use of unregulated products, our policies would also help advance research on the positive effects of cannabis and the legitimate medical applications.
  • We recognise the urgent need of certain patients to have access to marijuana. However, we believe that restrictions for medicinal marijuana are directly caused by the prohibition of recreational use.
    We recognise patients' right to obtain cannabis now, illegally, to treat their illnesses and the right for citizens to assist them in the process.
  • We also feel there will always be a legitimate need for compassionate marijuana distribution centers (Compassion Clubs) that can provide guidance and other related services for medical marijuana users. One of our commitments is to ensure access to medical marijuana for all Canadians through compassion clubs in every single electoral riding.
  • Set age limits for use of cannabis. Prohibition prevents effective methods to monitor the age of users and facilitates access to young people. Proper age limits should be set to protect our youth from abusive consumption.

Responsibilities of cannabis users include:

  • Resposibility behind the wheel. Responsible users do not drive a vehicle with impaired faculties, be it by cannabis or any other condition (fatigue, medication, alcohol), We must focus on developing objective measures to evaluate drivers sobriety without necessarily relying on chemical detection.
  • Responsible users take care in considering the set and setting before choosing to consume. This choice can be made based on the personal values and experience of the users as well as on the social and physical circumstances.
  • Cannabis use that causes harm to ones health or impedes personal development should be considered abuse.
  • Responsible users respect non-users rights to chose to live without cannabis. Responsible users seek to respect public regulations regarding smoking, be it cannabis or cigarettes.


Further information can be found at the official party website: http://www.marijuanaparty.com

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