Canada - Pot Laws Uncostitutional

A Judge has just struck down Canada's marijuana prohibition laws.

Mr. Justice Donald Taliano of the Ontario Superior Court struck down the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations, arguing they aren’t doing enough to ensure patients can obtain the necessary approvals to use the drug. Simultaneously, he ruled two sections of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act – those that prohibit simple possession and cultivating marijuana – are unconstitutional, since they can be used to criminally charge medicinal users who haven’t been able to obtain such approval.

The ruling means the government must either improve its system for licensing medicinal marijuana patients within 90 days, or it will become legal to use or grow the drug for any purpose. The government can, however, buy itself more time by appealing the ruling.

I wonder if Canada is interested in becoming the Amsterdam of North America? Not just one city but a whole country.

I thought this part of the ruling was particularly significant.

“Rather than promote health – the regulations have the opposite effect. Rather than promote effective drug control – the regulations drive the critically ill to the black market,” he wrote. “Surely, the right to choose belongs to the patient, not to government that has failed to create the environment for better research into the drug’s effectiveness and harmful qualities.”

Now if only we could get rid of the DEA and the FDA in America. Putting people in charge of their own medical care seems like a very good idea to me. If you want a doctor - fine. If you don't want a doctor - fine. Having the government enforce the rules of the medical cartel seems like a very bad idea.