Poll: Majority Of Canadians Approve Of ‘Grow Your Own’ Ruling

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
http://www.theweedblog.com/poll-majority-of-canadians-approve-of-grow-your-own-ruling/
Canada is home to some of the best cannabis growers on the planet. I have consumed my fair share of Canadian cannabis over the years, and I definitely have always been a fan. I have also always been a fan of medical marijuana programs that allow home cultivation. If a patient (or someone they know) has the resources, knowledge, and ability to grow their own medicine, they should be allowed to do so. Growing ones own cannabis not only helps a patient save money, but it gives the patient the ability to grow the exact kind of medicine that helps them the most.

Once upon a time Canada did not allow medical marijuana patients to grow their own medicine, and instead required patients to purchase all of their medical marijuana from licensed cultivators. That lead to a lot of large corporations taking over the medical marijuana cultivation industry in Canada for a time, although do to a legal injunction, some patients were allowed to cultivate medical marijuana in the interim, but that was a very limited population size. That all changed with a recent court decision in Canada, which ruled that the ban on medical marijuana cultivation by patients was illegal. The Canadian government was then given six months to come up with a plan to regulate patient cultivation. Those that were part of the earlier injunction could continue growing, all other patients can start growing after the six month deadline per the court ruling.

So how do Canadians feel about the court ruling in favor of home cultivation? A recent poll by Forum Research found the following:

In a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll among 1567 Canadian voters, including 582 who have used marijuana or cannabis in the past, well more than half approve of the federal court ruling which struck down the prohibition against medical marijuana users growing their own (56%). Just more than one third disapprove of this decision (35%) and one tenth don’t have an opinion (9%). Approval of the ruling is characteristic of the youngest (67%), the least wealthy (often a proxy for youth – 60%) and those in mid income groups ($40K to $80K – 60%), in Atlantic Canada 64%) and in BC (65%), among Liberals (64%) and New Democrats (66%), and even among one third of Conservatives (36%), among mothers of children under 18 (60%), among those who have used marijuana in the past (73%) and among the best educated (post grad – 62%).

There is a big push in Canada right now to legalize recreational marijuana. It’s something that Canada’s current Prime Minister campaigned on, and promised he would work on immediately when getting into office. It has been slow going, but legalizing marijuana on a national level in an international community is not exactly an easy task. That’s not to say that delays should be tolerated, but that also needs to be balanced with expectations that involve a degree of patience. This same poll found that 48% of respondents would support home cultivation as part of recreational marijuana reform, with 42% saying they would oppose such a policy measure.
 

WHATFG

Well-Known Member
Just because the majority of citizens think home cultivation is ok, the powers that be may not think so...whose opinion do you think will prevail?
 

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
Just because the majority of citizens think home cultivation is ok, the powers that be may not think so...whose opinion do you think will prevail?
Do you really think the powers that be are that opposed to home grows? Every argument they used against mmj grows was found to be without merit. With legalization comes the expectation that it be treated like other legal, but controlled substances. There would be no justification in banning home grows when growing tobacco and making alcohol are permitted. The LP's and investor's, including some Liberals (and even more CONS), will be pushing to hold on to exclusive growing rights, but any system that doesn't include personal grows is doomed to fail. Forcing people to buy overpriced cannabis of questionable quality will ensure the bm and organized crime continue to control the market. If they are serious about removing the criminal elements, they need to take the profit out of it. The only way to do that is to allow people to grow their own, imo.
 

buckets

Well-Known Member
It's teeth chattering times in Canada! That's what it feels like when there's a huge battle going on. We've got to continue to hang in there and even fight on through the courts if need be. Hang in there Canada! We will prevail. Eventually...
 

OLD MOTHER SATIVA

Well-Known Member
"Do you really think the powers that be are that opposed to home grows?"

i think they have alot of pressure put on them..and some of their crew[BillB] is "that" opposed

good point about it precluding organized crime[of course "we" all know that]

but i think they tend to just cling to

"what about the children?" scenerio's
 

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
"Do you really think the powers that be are that opposed to home grows?"

i think they have alot of pressure put on them..and some of their crew[BillB] is "that" opposed

good point about it precluding organized crime[of course "we" all know that]

but i think they tend to just cling to

"what about the children?" scenerio's
I'm sure that's one of the arguments being used...but the same could be said about tobacco and alcohol, both proven killers, and I don't hear the same "what about the children" outcry over buddy's home brew. They have to justify banning the growing of a legal plant...simply saying you can't isn't going to withstand the first hour of a court challenge. Any attempt to boost LP's by banning homegrows will backfire on the LP's and government with the backlash from cannabis users and non-users alike.
I admit I may sound more optimistic than most, but I am pretty confident in my predictions...
 

jafro daweedhound

Well-Known Member
Just because the majority of citizens think home cultivation is ok, the powers that be may not think so...whose opinion do you think will prevail?
The judges will...
When the government lost the Allard case the door to home cultivation was opened just a crack...
No proof was ever presented that showed having a kitchen in your home was anymore dangerous than indoor garden. Mold issue was shown to be more of a concern at your local grocery store. That with an legal system with proper installation all aspects of safety could be reasonably addressed. Least that what the judge said both in the court room pretty much daily and in in his final decision. ( Assuming there is no appeal in the next week - they will have less than 5 months to set up new guide lines for a MMAR type system). Number of plants ect to still be determined.
The whole case was based on charter rights, and it seems as we still have some.
Step two in this will come when a future court case will be launched showing there is no difference, under the charter, between who uses this substance - medical or recreational. And in furtherance to that argument, evidence can be shown that cannabis prevents sickness / illness in people. that will occur once JT gets all his other election promises completed.
 

jafro daweedhound

Well-Known Member
I'm sure that's one of the arguments being used...but the same could be said about tobacco and alcohol, both proven killers, and I don't hear the same "what about the children" outcry over buddy's home brew. They have to justify banning the growing of a legal plant...simply saying you can't isn't going to withstand the first hour of a court challenge. Any attempt to boost LP's by banning homegrows will backfire on the LP's and government with the backlash from cannabis users and non-users alike.
I admit I may sound more optimistic than most, but I am pretty confident in my predictions...
Well said !!!
Over the years many lies and smears have been used to control this dangerous substance. Many of these lies are being exposed at an ever quickening rate. New false flags must be developed to keep this dangerous substance from doing any more imaginary harm. So I ask, why not Save the children ??? Oh the poor children.....
Go to any high school at a break and you will see the local MP out there taking cigarettes out of the children's hands as they attempt to light up a smoke between classes... And who hasn't witnessed a politician outside a bar or liquor store checking for false IDs on a long weekend. COME ON LETS SAVE THE CHILDREN.

Just for shits and giggles lets save the parents LEGALIZE NOW !!!!
 

doingdishes

Well-Known Member
the Terry Parker case gave us the right to use MJ as medicine. (gave birth to MMAR)
Hitzig gave us the right to access
Sfekopolous gave us the right to more than one grower

these cases have already been tried so it would be interesting how they want to re-fight this. they just lost again
 

JungleStrikeGuy

Well-Known Member
the Terry Parker case gave us the right to use MJ as medicine. (gave birth to MMAR)
Mernagh 'clarified' this to mean you only have a right to a constitutional exemption from prohibition.

Those of us who have been in the MMAR since the early days, especially under the Liberals of the time can tell you that 'a court says something' to 'the government implements what the court says' are two very different things. We need only look at what the response to 1-1 DG's was, making it 2-1 which was pretty much a slap in the face.

Blair and Trudeau are going all in on the 'regulation' party (Trudeau at least recognizes taxing it to death means the BM thrives), and are peddling their own version of 'think of the children'.

Depending on what the Senate looks like by the time they finally draft a bill, home grows may be a 'concession' that the LPC thinks they need to make to get signoff from the Senate. I don't disagree with the points being raised about the reality of MJ cultivation vs beer/tobacco, but it isn't as simple as 'the court says this so everything is guaranteed'. As Turmel has mentioned, the LPC can tie this up for years if they want to, or if it's favorable politically to do so. I'll believe they have the best interests of patients in mind when the deadline passes, or they give a definitive answer as to whether they will appeal Allard.
 

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
Mernagh 'clarified' this to mean you only have a right to a constitutional exemption from prohibition.

Those of us who have been in the MMAR since the early days, especially under the Liberals of the time can tell you that 'a court says something' to 'the government implements what the court says' are two very different things. We need only look at what the response to 1-1 DG's was, making it 2-1 which was pretty much a slap in the face.

Blair and Trudeau are going all in on the 'regulation' party (Trudeau at least recognizes taxing it to death means the BM thrives), and are peddling their own version of 'think of the children'.

Depending on what the Senate looks like by the time they finally draft a bill, home grows may be a 'concession' that the LPC thinks they need to make to get signoff from the Senate. I don't disagree with the points being raised about the reality of MJ cultivation vs beer/tobacco, but it isn't as simple as 'the court says this so everything is guaranteed'. As Turmel has mentioned, the LPC can tie this up for years if they want to, or if it's favorable politically to do so. I'll believe they have the best interests of patients in mind when the deadline passes, or they give a definitive answer as to whether they will appeal Allard.
They technically could hold legalization up for years, but I don't see any political advantage in it. Same as home grows, where's the advantage in banning them? They could try, but I think the backlash would negate any positives. Add in the fact that they would need to justify the law in court the first time someone is charged. All previous rulings involved medical access to a controlled substance, but once it is removed from the cdsa it is a whole new ball game. It then becomes an argument of unjustifiably restricting freedoms.
What I see as a possibility, is the LPC soon announcing a program that would allow provinces to move ahead with framework around sales and taxation. Even with $30B he couldn't give the provinces what they wanted...but he could give them a way to help themselves.
I agree next Tuesday will be pivotal in showing their intentions...I'm think we'll be fine.
 

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
I would be shocked if there was an appeal. There is no reason to appeal and I doubt there is an interest from the LPC. I also don't know how much time they will spend building a new database of addresses for something that will soon be legal for everyone. I could be wrong....but that rarely happens! lol
 
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