Controlled Drug and Substances Act Research Essay

Canada’s Current Legal System and Marijuana Use

Canada, like many other nations, has not yet authorized marijuana use. Therefore, it is acceptable for the authorities to uphold the current legal system. In other words, they should keep looking for pharmacies and stores that deal in the illegal manufacture, distribution, selling, and use of the drug.

Enforcement of Cannabis-Related Rules

The police have a right to enforce the rules that are written into the constitution of the nation. Cannabis-related activities are forbidden by Canadian legislation. Nevertheless, there have been initiatives to decriminalize substance use. Kirkup (2017) claims that in 2018, liberals in Canada proposed legislation to decriminalize marijuana. This suggests that the substance is still illegal in the nation. Therefore, the cases of the police raiding shops currently selling marijuana are justified under the current law. The Toronto police have conducted about 11 search warrants at dispensaries in three cities in the county and arrested five people (Fumano & Eagland, 2017).

Critics’ Perspectives

Critics say that the police should be barred from doing the search (Kari, 2016; McGillivray, 2017). Others say that policing of the marijuana pot is inconsistent. However, they seem to forget that the drug is illegal despite the looming legalization. As such, they should wait until the bill is signed into law (Benzie, 2016; Powel, 2017). Similarly, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and the Board of Health argue that despite the fact that legalization of marijuana is looming, the police should enforce the law and criminally charge dispensaries and pot shops that sell or dispense marijuana.

Law Applicability and Future Measures

The law regarding the drug should remain applicable until the country puts in place appropriate measures to prevent misuse of the drug upon its legalization. That is, the police should prevent the use of marijuana until the government establishes a “strict legal framework for production, sale, distribution, and possession of pot” (Kirkup, 2017, para. 1). For example, the law should prohibit the sale of marijuana to youth or misuse of young people to commit crimes related to the drug.

Conclusion

In conclusion, production, sale, distribution, and use of marijuana are currently illegal in Canada. However, liberals have drafted a bill to decriminalize these activities by July 2018. Nonetheless, the bill has not yet been signed into law. Therefore, the police should enforce the law as it is until the bill is passed into a law.

References

Benzie, R. (2016, December 3). Trudeau urges police to ‘enforce the law’ on marijuana. The Stars.com. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/12/03/trudeau-urges-police-to-enforce-the-law-on-marijuana.html

Fumano, D. & Eagland, N. (2017, 9 March 9). Marc and Jodie Emery face drug charges after police raid Cannabis Culture pot shops. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved from http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouver-police-raid-cannabis-cafe-as-prince-of-pot-marc-and-jodie-emery-sit-in-toronto-jail

Kari, S. (2016, October 21). Advocates, owners say Toronto pot-shop policing inconsistent. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/advocates-owners-say-toronto-pot-shop-policing-inconsistent/article32477915/

Kirkup, K. (2017, April 13). Liberals introduce bills to legalize marijuana by July 2018. The Canadian Press. Retrieved from http://www.torontosun.com/2017/04/13/what-to-expect-from-the-liberals-marijuana-bill

McGillivray K. (2017, March 11). Grey area, or black and white? Dispensary raids raise questions about where pot stands in Canada. CBC News. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/dispensary-raids-confusion-1.4019789

Powel, B. (2017, June 12). Board of Health calls on feds to decriminalize pot possession immediately. The Star.com. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2017/06/12/board-of-health-calls-on-feds-to-decriminalize-pot-possession-immediately.html