Twenty eight current and former American law enforcement officials already told our federal government that it’s making a huge mistake with mandatory minimum sentences in Bill C-10 for minor drug offences. Now, the Harper government has received another rebuke in a paper by the chief medical officers of B.C., Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan that calls for cannabis to be decriminalized and taxed, and regulated like tobacco and alcohol.
Saskatchewan Justice Minister Don Morgan — who also recently admitted he didn’t have a clue how much the federal government’s “tough on crime” agenda will cost Saskatchewan through increased expenses for police, courts, prisons and parole services — responded by saying he respects the health officials’ view, but “addicts” — which I guess includes anybody who indulges in the recreational use of this substance that’s legal in a growing number of states south of the border and countries around the world — belong in jail.