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How long does it take: Legislative time-line comparisonsProponents of cannabis reform always point to how long legislation prohibiting cannabis has been in effect and wonder how long it will be until rational legislation (legalization) replaces irrational legislation (prohibition). Rational is defined as, what is in the best interest of the greater good of society, while irrational is, what is best for the interests of a few at the expense of others - some form of oppression. For those who don't know, cannabis prohibition began in 1923 - a generation that is now eldery or passed on. Is that really a long time in the world of politics though? That can depend on whether the move will amend existing legislation to empower individual rights, or introduce new methods to diminish rights. Legislation under the guise of anti-terrorism, money-laundering or asset forfeiture can be passed within months of conception, but getting rid of morality-based legislation can be a different story. Just to give an overview, government documents reveal how long it took just to change some rather significant housekeeping legislation: Canadian sovereignty
Total time-line: 114 years Canada, which was a self-governing colony in 1867, achieved legal independence with the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The Constitution of 1867 had one serious omission: it contained no general formula for constitutional amendment. It was necessary to ask the British Parliament to take action each time an amendment was needed. Now on to the moral questions of the day. Death Penalty
Total time-line: 106 years
Contrary to predictions by death penalty supporters, the homicide rate in Canada did not increase after abolition in 1976. In fact, the Canadian murder rate declined slightly the following year (from 2.8 per 100,000 to 2.7). Over the next 20 years the homicide rate fluctuated (between 2.2 and 2.8 per 100,000), but the general trend was clearly downwards. It reached a 30-year low in 1995 (1.98) -- the fourth consecutive year-to-year decrease and a full one-third lower than in the year before abolition. In 1998, the homicide rate dipped below 1.9 per 100,000, the lowest rate since the 1960s. Abortion Law
Total time-line: 119 years
Cannabis LawTotal time-line: 95 years, 5 months, and 24 days. Inception: April 23, 1923 Also see: Key dates in the evolution of Canadian attitudes, laws regarding marijuana
In a nutshell: In 1923 cannabis became prohibited with one statement made in Parliament, "There is a new drug on the schedule." It was fourteen years later, in 1937, that anyone was convicted of this offense, so it is often referred to as "a solution without a problem." The lower court decision in Parker that Section 4 of the Controlled Drugs and Substancess Act (CDSA) was unconstitional because there was no provision for the ill who had to choose between their health and liberty, was upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal. (July 31, 2000) Unless a provision was made by amending the law within one year, the law would be of no force or effect. The government did not appeal to the Supreme Court and instead chose to implement new regulations by the deadline of August 1, 2001 which are known as the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR). The regulations circumvented the court mandate and have also been ruled unconstitutional. Also, three Canadians who launched Constitutional challenges to the cannabis laws in the early 1990's, finally had their cases heard before the Supreme Court of Canada on May 6, 2003. The SSC rendered their decision on the case December 23, 2003 which was Parliament had the right to enact whatever laws it wanted when it comes to cannabis. In 2012, Canada is governed by a majority Conservative government (with 39.6% of vote), that appears to have culled that much of the vote with a "win at any cost" approach. This resulted in a conviction of election irregularities, found in comptempt of parliament, and ongoing investigation into further election fraud involving robocalls, forgery and other irregularities. This government brought in mandatory minimum sentences for growing 6+ cannabis plants and setting Canada back further than ever before. |
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