I thought I'd start a new thread as the last one was very long and this is a new topic. Let's start with the quote from Unionist:

quote:I can't speak for the NDP, but I will try. I have told you for almost three years that I do not believe the NDP will decriminalize marijuana, notwithstanding its pretentious statements, in any near future, even if they're in a position to do so. I told you in 2006 that they hadn't even made it a condition of support of two consecutive minority governments. I know you consider that they're the best bet. But the party's outrageous actions in this case (in particular with regard to Kirk Tousaw - and please, everyone, no more disingenuous statements about how the party didn't pressure him to quit) and its flippant dismissal of you, are a good sign that they just don't give a shit. Pardon my rudeness.

It's true that there is resistance within the NDP to the prioritization of marijuana as a major issue. Marijuana is usually entirely absent from the election debate.

Marijuana policy was not part of the campaign strategy this election, and without me and Kirk it might not have received any mention at all. Layton backtracked a bit from his comments on Pot-TV and MuchMusic, saying only that the NDP supported "decriminalization" instead of the more strongly-worded comments he had made previously.

If the NDP formed federal government tomorrow I doubt marijuana law reform would be at the top of the agenda.

But I do think that if Jack Layton were Prime Minister, we'd see an end to the extradition of Marc Emery, strong federal support for more supervised injection sites and harm reduction in general, and no more moves towards mandatory minimums and the continuing US-style drug war.

The NDP would also improve the medical marijuana program.

The thing is, I cannot imagine a scenario where marijuana gets legalized in Canada without the federal NDP supporting this. So NDP support is a necessary precursor to marijuana law reform. If the cannabis movement cannot get the NDP to strongly back our cause, then we will never see marijuana legalized in Canada.

[ 24 October 2008: Message edited by: Dana Larsen ]