So, just what were they smoking? - Toronto Star

[can-o-phish]

So, just what were they smoking?

Candidates, crowd get in the spirit

Most at debate back legalizing pot

Jan. 16, 2006. 01:00 AM

RITA DALY

STAFF REPORTER

From the microphone came a question for the candidates that had nothing to do with health or education or the Constitution or guns: "Where do you stand on the legalization of marijuana?"

All seven candidates in the riding of Trinity-Spadina, seated at a long table at the front of the lecture hall at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre on Bloor St. W. last week, smiled as the more than 300 residents in the packed room suddenly sat up with new interest.

So, legalizing pot, eh?

The first to answer was John Riddell, a white-haired gentleman running for the Canadian Action Party, whose day job is superintendent of a highrise. The audience hushed as he leaned back in his chair, looked upward and replied with a slight grin, "I don't think I'd have a problem with that."

Laughter. Cheers.

Next was Nick Lin, running for the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada, making his fourth attempt for political office.

Clearing his throat, he replied, "I don't think it's appropriate for the state to interfere in individual lives."

The crowd went wild. "The Communist party? Holy cow!" someone in the second row exclaimed with glee.

Next up was the Liberals' Tony Ianno, defending his seat in the riding. He mentioned his support for his party's proposed decriminalization of marijuana, then added something about how pot would obviously become an alternative to drinking, so we'd have to figure out "how to ensure if people are smoking that they're driving safely."

People looked at each other aghast. Did we hear right? Things were certainly looking good.

Next was Asif Hossain, candidate for the Progressive Canadian Party and a student at the University of Toronto.

Hossain leaned forward and declared with a grin, "As the youngest candidate in the room, you might assume that I smoke all the time." Cheers, applause. "But I don't." That being said, he added that he believes in civil liberties, so bring it on.

More applause, hoots.

Suddenly, the mood in the room turned dark as Conservative candidate Sam Goldstein, seething in his seat, took his turn. Pointing a menacing finger at the crowd, he chastised them for wanting candidates to control gun crime in their city, while wanting to legalize a drug that was causing the gang warfare on their streets.

"You are supporting gang violence in this city!" he roared. The crowd erupted in anger, shaking their fists as he continued to vent his disgust.

The moderator banged on the podium to stop the commotion and finally the next candidate, the New Democratic Party's Olivia Chow, was able to speak.

"Well," she said. "I'm surprised it has taken so long and still nothing has been done."

More applause.

Finally, the seventh and final candidate was able to speak — Thom Chapman of the Green party, a young man who plays chess in his spare time.

The room waited in silence and then he said, "I'm sorry, I forgot the question."

He got the biggest laugh of all.

Legalize Pot?

[bradm]

Suddenly, the mood in the room turned dark as Conservative candidate Sam Goldstein, seething in his seat, took his turn. Pointing a menacing finger at the crowd, he chastised them for wanting candidates to control gun crime in their city, while wanting to legalize a drug that was causing the gang warfare on their streets.

Actually, it's the illegality of the drug that's causing (or, more precisely, contributing to) gang warfare on the streets. If marijuana could be acquired legally, reliably, and with competition (to lower prices), I suspect the illegal market for it would dry up.

Aloha,

Brad

[Davey Boy 2.0]

exactly, bradley! i was about to point that out myself, however we're kinda preahing to the converted, i suspect

[secondtube]

6/7 fucking cock sucking conservatives.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

If it weren't for knowing that there are Conservatives who see the wisdom in decriminalisation, I'd be saying that that guy's response is just typical - like W.R. Hearst publishing all the inferred link between smoking "marihuana", being a lazy rapist (somehow those two ideas worked well together for him), and being Mexican or Black.

Somebody really needs to sit him down in a room full of stoners to see what sort of threat to anybody really exists. I'm reminded of the comment by Zappa in his autobiography about the relationship between beer (in particular) and violence. Sure, if you have an army, you can feed them tons of beer and get them good and stoked to go invade a country or something; on the other hand, though, how many times has anyone seen an army of winos or bourbon drinkers? Worst thing you can say about pot, he added, was that it can make people boring and stupid (but certainly not dangerous).

[bradm]

If it weren't for knowing that there are Conservatives who see the wisdom in decriminalisation, I'd be saying that that guy's response is just typical - like W.R. Hearst publishing all the inferred link between smoking "marihuana", being a lazy rapist (somehow those two ideas worked well together for him), and being Mexican or Black.

I heard an interesting conspiracy theory about this. 'Way back when, in the early 20th Century, cannabis, in the form of industrial hemp, was a legal product, and was used for a lot of things, including paper. The theory goes that W. R. Hearst owned large tracts of trees which could also be used for paper, so he helped get cannabis declared illegal so it couldn't be used for paper, increasing the value of his trees.

Aloha,

Brad

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

That's just the conspiracy I was thinking of . Of course, it's hard to publish stuff like Hearst did where there's not already a climate ready to accept it (e.g. through all those cheesy movies as well).

There's the economics, of course, but there's also that racism going on as well - again, like the (Protestant) temperance people in the 19th whose main targets seemed to be the masses of immigrating Catholics for whom alcohol was a bit of a cultural staple.

[djmelbatoast]

The Conservatives backwards way of looking at drug policy is dizzying.

I don't smoke that often but when I do I shouldn't go to jail.

What kind of a dumbass after seeing that the crowd is obiously in favour of legalization chastises the crowd. Cocksuckers!!!(but not in a gay way, in more of a GWB way)

[d_rawk]

Agreed djmelbatoast. I'm surprised by his answer -- you'd think there would be a lot less antagonizing ways of answering the question than to basically equate the entire room with violent criminals.

Ah well. Trinity-Spadina was the Conservative Party's second worse showing in terms of votes (outside of Quebec) last time around. Goldstein is just there to fill the chair.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Agreed. That used to be our neck of the woods, and it's harder to find a riding further to the left (though most NDP support, no doubt, was labour, historically speaking). You almost have to feel sorry for the CPC guy, had he not been such a goof.