REVscene Automotive Forum - Is the legalization of marijuana just a matter of time now?

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Is the legalization of marijuana just a matter of time now?

So since the Liberals have a majority, is the legalization of marijuana going to happen for sure now? Or is there still a bunch of red tape that could happen and it not be legalized?

I'm not really sure what this means. Does anyone know the process on how this happens?

Where have you been lately?

Weed is pretty much legal, theres almost as much dispensaries as starbucks now.

bet they're just using it to get more votes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyTan3 (Post 8691415)

Where have you been lately?

Weed is pretty much legal, theres almost as much dispensaries as starbucks now.

Vancouver is hardly a valid comparison of the rest of Canada...

Personal thought on this topic is that our biggest trade partner to the south, officially is against marijuana. And being that Canada is their bitch, we will maintain status quo and not officially decriminalize it but will turn the blind eye to it, much like how it is legal in certain states but is officially illegal in the eyes of the US government.

When you cross the border to go into Washington and the border guards asks what is the purpose of your trip. Guess what happens when you tell them you are going down to spend some of your hard earned money on marijuana.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy (Post 8691470)

Personal thought on this topic is that our biggest trade partner to the south, officially is against marijuana.

And until recently they were also officially against gay marriage, and that didn't stop us from taking the plunge to make that legal in 2005.

The USA is not going to stop buying our shit or selling shit to us just because we make weed legal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy (Post 8691470)

There's also a big difference between decriminalizing vs. legalizing. Legalizing it implies that will be regulated (taxes, age restriction, etc...) where decriminalizing means that it is no longer an offence.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyTan3 (Post 8691415)

Where have you been lately?

Weed is pretty much legal, theres almost as much dispensaries as starbucks now.

right now medicinal is legalized but recreational is not.

After hearing about Trudeau's spending plans, I hope he legalizes it so we won't get hit with so many goddamn tax hikes.

He did say he was going to legalize it though "first thing" to get the ball rolling on regulation. There will be alot of red tape still though, biggest issues being: testing drivers while intoxicated, an age limit, and how much it should cost.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great68 (Post 8691473)

Hard to compare the 2. One was a human rights issue while the other is a contraband. I don't think criminals care too much about gay marriages but I do know marijuana can be linked to organized crime.
While it may not stop all trade, it will put a strain on our trade relations with the US.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRS (Post 8691474)

Sorry, I used the wrong term. What I meant is the federal government may never offically legalize it.

Read somewhere that in the second year of legalization in Colorado the tax revenue generated overtook liquor sales. Hard numbers to ignore

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy (Post 8691496)

it will put a strain on our trade relations with the US.

Based on what though? Conjecture?

There is no proof that the USA would care at all.

Despite marijuana still being illegal federally in the US, you can tell that country itself is going through it's own revolution with regards to this topic. More states are looking at the success of Alaska, Washington Oregon & Colorado and exploring the possibility of legalization themselves.
The current president himself has said fighting marijuana is not at the top of his priority list.

I seriously doubt that if Canada legalized marijuana tomorrow, the USA is going to "harden up" all of a sudden and give us a bad time about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great68 (Post 8691503)

B

I seriously doubt that if Canada legalized marijuana tomorrow, the USA is going to "harden up" all of a sudden and give us a bad time about it.

WA, our border state is legal... :fullofwin:

Although I think when it comes to CBP, Federal law applies. :okay:

i don't see it an issue with trade relations, but perhaps on an individual basis if travelling?

eg. crossing the border and the guard starts asking marijuana related questions and you answer that you indeed smoke it as it is legal in canada. at the federal level it's illegal and a border guard is a federal agent, regardless if crossing in to washington.

i recall a story similar in nature where a guy responded he smoke once in highschool and all of the sudden was denied entry and blacklisted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GLOW (Post 8691514)

Marijuana disclosure blocks entry to U.S. - Peace Arch News

Quote:

It seems honesty is not always the best policy for B.C. residents attempting to cross the border into the U.S.

So says White Rock’s Jessica Goldstein, who was told she was “inadmissible” after she and some friends – headed to the Dave Matthews concert at the Gorge – tried to enter the U.S. at the Pacific Highway crossing on Saturday.

When asked by a female customs officer “have you used drugs, ever?” Goldstein fessed up that she’d smoked marijuana the week before.

While representatives of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will not speak specifically to her case, it’s evident the admission was enough to fall afoul of beefed-up federal enforcement of U.S. marijuana laws in the wake of successful state initiatives in Washington and Colorado legalizing possession of small amounts of pot.

The White Rock-born-and-raised Goldstein, 30, said her honest answer prompted “three hours of interrogation and background checks.” She said that even though her truck was searched and nothing was found, she was denied entry because she had admitted she had smoked marijuana in the past.

“I wasn’t hiding anything – I wasn’t breaking the law,” she said. “I have no previous charges or criminal record.”

CBP public affairs officer Michael Milne, in a statement to media emailed Wednesday, said privacy laws prevent discussion of specific cases and individuals.

However, he pointed to sections of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act that say that individuals may be considered inadmissible not just for being convicted of a crime “involving moral turpitude” but also for admitting voluntarily they have committed such a crime.

In the definition of criminal grounds of inadmissibility, crimes can include those that violate regulations and laws of “a foreign country” relating to a controlled substance.

Goldstein is upset not only because she is out the $200 she spent on concert tickets and camping – her friends weren’t denied entry, and were able to arrange another ride to the concert – but also because she won’t be allowed back into the U.S. unless she is granted a waiver of inadmissibility. The application fee for that is $585 U.S. – with no guarantee the application will be accepted.

“That sounds like a cash grab to me,” said the full-time university student, noting she owns a vacation cabin in Washington State and crosses the border every week to buy gas and groceries.

“I own property down there. I spend thousands of dollars in the U.S. each year. My father was American and never gave up his citizenship. I have family down in California and I was planning to go visit in a few months.”

Adding to her frustration, she said, is a sense that the Customs and Border Protection is being inconsistent.

“I have been asked the question before, and I’ve always been honest. I’ve been with other people who’ve told the truth, too, and they’ve always let us go. (Officers) have searched the car, haven’t found anything, and it’s been like ‘thank you for being honest’.

“I sort of feel like (the officer) wanted to exercise some power or meet some daily quota.”

While Milne would not comment on Goldstein’s allegations, he pointed to a recent statement by Jenny Durkan, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, that makes it clear the Department of Justice is emphasizing federal marijuana enforcement in the wake of state ballot initiatives in Washington and Colorado that seek to legalize possession of small amounts of pot.

In a paragraph highlighted in the CBP statement, Durkan says: “We will continue an aggressive focus on the promotion and sale of drugs to minors, violence and the use of firearms, and the trafficking of marijuana across state or international lines.”

Goldstein said she’s unsure what her next step is, other than bringing her case to the media.

“I’m considering talking to a lawyer,” she said. “I feel like there should be an appeal process.”

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great68 (Post 8691503)

I seriously doubt that if Canada legalized marijuana tomorrow, the USA is going to "harden up" all of a sudden and give us a bad time about it.

This.

As Hondaracer said above, the economic implications of legalizing and regulating marijuana are hard to ignore. And I am sure there are plenty of states who need money in their coffers who are looking at the Colorado and Washington models of legalization and thinking "hmmm...".

Personally, I don't smoke weed at all. Maybe a few times in high school and I don't think I would start again if it was legal. But I'm all for it simply to stop wasting police time/resources and put a dent in gang operations, as well as the amount of money it would bring to the government. Obviously since I live in Vancouver, I am a bit biased but I believe that the majority of people who *want* to smoke marijuana already do it anyway. Might as well make some money off of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great68 (Post 8691503)

Can't find the exact article that I read, but here is an interesting take on things from 2013.
But you may be correct and my worries about trade relations are unfounded.
Marijuana and Canadian-American Relations

If they can put up with their very own states legalizing it, I'm sure they can handle Canada legalizing it.

will open bud line wen legalization gets pushed thru

It's still illegal Federally in the US thats what a lot of people don't realize. So if a Federal Officer (thats what they consider boarder guards) asks the questions they are fully in the right to with hold entry into the US.

Answers to 5 questions about legalized pot in Colorado

Quote:

In December of 2012, after Colorado and Washington state legalized recreational marijuana (sales will become legal in Washington later this spring), President Obama told Barbara Walters in an interview that "it does not make sense" for the federal government to prioritize going after recreational users of a drug in a state that has legalized it. In August of this year, the Justice Department said it would not challenge state laws sanctioning the use of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes so long as drug sales do not run counter to certain federal enforcement priorities, such as distribution to minors.

So, yes, marijuana remains an illegal drug, but the federal government has made it pretty clear it's maintaining a hands-off approach in states like Colorado. At least for now.

Can anyone in Washington State get recreational weed, or is it only for washington residents?

ie. if a Vancouverite makes a strip down to Seattle, can we just go into any marijuana dispensary and pick up some bud?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeanutButter (Post 8692007)

yes anyone could get it but its way over priced, you best bet it so find it on Craigslist in Washington.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hondaracer (Post 8691501)

Read somewhere that in the second year of legalization in Colorado the tax revenue generated overtook liquor sales. Hard numbers to ignore

Colorado collected too much taxes, they might have to refund it

Forbes Welcome