I have been blogging here for several years mainly on Canadian and international affairs. Now I also blog at CommentIndia.com on matters relating to India and international issues.

Visit CommentIndia.com

Marijuana Debate:What Are They Smoking?

 

Two things are in the air following Justin Truduea's support of legalisation and regulation of Marijuana or the admission he has touched an occasional joint and inhaled  a puff or two.  There is the weedy  smell of the political commentary both from the Right and Left of the federal political spectrum assuming the Liberals are at the Center. The left was more generous. They only worried about whether this was Justin's permanent position.  We all know  tempers in the house can flare up easily  in the Question but No Answer Period.  Were  they worried that his next foray into this debate might  have him ordain that under his leadership the parliamentarians will have to inhale each day before entering the House of the People? We won't mention the Other Place as the Senate is referred  to since judging from the behaviour of some of them they probably  already have it stashed away for regular or occasional puffing  and inhaling. The Duff  had probably overpuffed . Breazeau , Wallin or Harb, take your pick. Where there is smoke, there could be a pot puffery! The right can take some solace.  It is leading with freshly inducted Players in the race to enjoy the bliss of oblivion. What in  heaven's  name have they been smoking? The Prime Minister not having  known about the Stash in the Senate even though he has been rumoured to be there for each speech from the throne, probably did not issue any directives to the new senators prohibiting  them from inhaling. But he must have forgotten to warn my friend  Peter McKay to not throw political stones at Trudeau's Pot if his own Glassed Beer was an easy target. Now the Prime Minister is going to have a heck of a time inspiring  his base. They are probably all confused enough to want to get stoned! Me I grew up in India and the Weed grew everywhere. How could you outlaw nature? Thank God though even the goats did not touch it.

The other thing is the debate about  how many jobs it will create or how much revenue will be generated?  Nobody is arguing we will lose jobs. They are quibbling  about a few or many that will be created.  It is not as if we are going to lose jobs. So what is the problem?  The cost benefit analysis raises its head.  The revenue figures of only $4.00 billion to $7.oo billion are floating around. Is anyone really  serious that we should not legalise as we shall only make $4.00 billion a year as opposed to 7?  We will save a huge amount of money that we currently spend on jails, police and the courts. There will be fewer  gang related deaths. Add all of that to the cost benefit analysis, legalisation and regulation is a no brainer. What are the opponents smoking? I support it and I have never even inhaled the darn thing. Or maybe  I did accidently when my grandfather used to burn the dried up weed plants to smoke the cattle flies away in the Monsoons and the smoke and the smell would fill the air! I support it nonetheless.

 

Visit: ujjaldosanjh.org  for  my blogs.

USA Must Act: The World Must Punish Assad
Corruption and Rape in India