New group of conservative politicians ignores Stephen Harper and pushes for marijuana legalization

    1 of 1 2 of 1

      The Conservative government in Ottawa has tried to make a political football out of cannabis, running advertisements that hark back to the “reefer madness” spots of the 1930s. But apparently not everybody on the right agrees a joint will fry your brain.

      Just in time for Vancouver’s annual marijuana festival and trade show happening at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Monday, April 20, a new group calling itself Canadian Conservatives for Legal Marijuana (CCFLM) has come together to promote what it describes as fiscally responsible policies on cannabis.

      According to a media release, the organization is headed by Inky Mark, a former Conservative and, before that, Reform Party MP who served 17 years in the House of Commons.

      “Real Conservatives support legal marijuana,” Mark said quoted there. “Legal marijuana means lower taxes, smaller government and more focus on personal responsibility, all hallmarks of the conservative philosophy. Stephen Harper has lost his way with his big government campaign against marijuana users.”

      The group has kicked off an anti-prohibition campaign by running billboards in Ottawa at the intersections of King Edward Avenue and York Street, and of Laurier Avenue West and Elgin Street.

      Mark told the Straight CCFLM hopes to expand the campaign to other Canadian cities in the near future. But he added right-wingers feel they have to be cautious with the issue of marijuana. “Like-minded conservatives are nervous about openly supporting us because they don't want to offend Harper.”

      CCFLM is for now withholding the names of its members. “Many prominent Conservatives privately support us, but they don't want to get in trouble for defying Harper,” Mark said.

      The group's website does however display messages of support for legalization from dozens of prominent politicians and academics. Those include Conservative MPs such as Scott Reid (Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington), Gerald Keddy (South Shore-St. Margeret’s), and Patrick Brown (Barrie), who is currently running to become leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.

      “We want to remind Harper’s MPs what real conservatives stand for,” Mark said, quoted in the media release. “Harper's personal crusade against marijuana users is just another expensive, big government intervention, wasting tax dollars and treating Canadians like children. We believe that marijuana prohibition has failed and that it's time for a new approach, one that's more in line with real conservative values.”

      Follow Travis Lupick on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram.

      Comments

      10 Comments

      theron ferbey

      Apr 17, 2015 at 7:08pm

      They are scared of Harper? If some Cons disagree with Stevie-boy they shouldnt have to hide it. This is Canada

      0 0Rating: 0

      jeremy hodder

      Apr 18, 2015 at 3:57am

      you said it theron, not to mention they weren't hired by him, they were hired by us the people. if that very statement doesn't make you see the corruption of that party nothing will

      0 0Rating: 0

      Pamela McColl

      Apr 18, 2015 at 7:26am

      Sweden has the lowest rate of use of marijuana because they follow the four United Nations Conventions on the issue - the ones that have 190 countries including Canada signing on that they will not move to more permissive drugs policies - legalization is a permissive drug policy and will issue in Big Marijuana. Sweden also has all political parties working together on the issue which is a public health issue. Canada has the highest rate of use by youth in the industrialized world because we have a very active and wealthy pot lobby working away to advance the issue and certain politicians have made politicized the issue. The issue is not about freedom or rights - it is about a small minority of adults wanting to get temporarily high from a psychotropic drug - the result is the rest of use get left with the costs of damage caused and pieces to be picked up - including dealing with an increase in school drop out rates and more mental health issues, accidents in the home and workplace.
      Marijuana is not safe for human consumption - especially if smoked so we need to bring this back to an issue of public health and we need to protect from the advance of Big Marijuana and the increase of use by youth.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Blaine Barrett

      Apr 18, 2015 at 1:07pm

      Finally a few Conservatives have come to their senses and realized the Harpo is not infallible. We can only hope that more common sense will kick in when it comes to the vote on C51 and more Cons will join the Opposition to defeat the atrocity. I think that would be a most favoured return of contempt for all the backbenchers who's ideas and suggestions he's ignored . He's had them whipped into line for the past seven years and I think it's time for some payback by simply ignoring his wish for a Fascist following.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Token

      Apr 18, 2015 at 2:51pm

      It dosen't matter how many cons support legalization. The leader of the party DOESN'T. Someone should make a billboard reminding everyone what Harper enacted last year. Putting ANYONE caught growing as few as 6 plants in a PRISON cage for 6-9 months MANDATORY minimum with no discretion from a judge. That includes medical patients who can't afford licensed producer black market prices. The average script out of the 50,000 approved patients is for 15-17g/day and most don't qualify for the "compassionate" pricing. For that you must make less than 25K/yr. So even at $10/g, that's $150-$170 per DAY, plus tax and shipping so say $200. That's $1400 per week, $5600/month or $67,200/yr! That's more than the ENTIRE net income of someone making $40/hr. For ONE medication. That same 15-17g/day script can be grown at home under 4, 1000 watt lights for $200/month or $2400 per year. Then Health Canada now has the audacity to say "Canadians aren't entitled to cheap medicine" Are you kidding me? Some people need more than 15-17g per day to make edibles, which, thanks to Harper, is ILLEGAL anywhere outside of B.C. Everyone outside of B.C. has to smoke their medication or be charged criminally? Enough is enough already. NOBODY deserves to have their lives ruined by being sent to a prison cage with the worst criminals in our society for growing a non toxic medicinal plant. Employment terminated, home and car repoed by bank, ability to travel freely taken away for 10 yrs. and a criminal record for LIFE. For 6 plants? This policy is insane. Voting for Mulcair and the NDP will continue this inhumane policy. Both parties are going to ADD ticketing to this. Fines will start at $200, then $500, then $1000. Guess what happens after 3? Off to PRISON. Voting Greens will allow Harper to remain. Justin Trudeau and the Liberals will finally put an end to this insanity with Legalization and give us the same freedom that the U.S. is basking in. He will be our version of JFK. Young, intelligent,good looking and a genuinely nice guy. No more miserable, fake smiling, mid life crisis psychos that put their citizens in prison for growing a plant. This Oct 2015 is our window of opportunity to vote for change and freedom. If all pro cannabis supporters get out and vote Trudeau, it will be a landslide VICTORY. Be part of the solution and not the problem.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Rick Rosio

      Apr 19, 2015 at 7:01am

      I worked in Canada in the 1970s and fell in love with the country... It is hard to imagine the good common sense people of Canada would support continuing cannabis prohibition regarding the sick and suffering... Cannabis use is neither a sin or vice... just ask a cancer patient, or someone suffering from AIDS, or old age, or serious injuries or your Veterans.. then ask yourself WHY? Why are your supporting Steven Harper or the better question is ... who is supporting this policy of Steven Harper ? www.veteransforcompassionatecare.org

      0 0Rating: 0

      Edward Bernays

      Apr 19, 2015 at 1:07pm

      Cannabis will be legalized. This is simply a campaign to begin to soften the conservative base to the coming changes. It will be fascinating to track the conservative machine turn on this issue. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

      0 0Rating: 0

      The only "real conservatives" are the ones in power

      Apr 19, 2015 at 2:44pm

      The Conservative Party, by virtue of its evolution, is now subdivided. We keep hearing about this group that calls itself "real conservatives." Real conservatives are reasonable, thoughtful people who respect the constitution, Parliament and democracy. In an ironic twist, these real conservatives have absolutely no power and are not in control of the party and haven't been for 15 to 20 years. If we are to take the term "real conservative" seriously, then unreal conservatives have complete control of the party and are in power creating ridiculously huge omnibus bills hiding thousands of legislative changes that aren't debated in Parliament. This "real" designation is BS. It's time to cut the cord, "real conservatives." Your party has been taken over by wingnuts and they are the only real conservatives. Some of you (most of you) real conservatives, allowed your party to be taken over by the Harper bunch. It's time to admit your party has been hijacked by wingnuts and you, the allegedly real conservatives are powerless. The only real conservatives are the ones destroying Canada. You will not get your party back. Join the Liberals or the NDP or the Greens or form your own party. You are not in control of the Conservative Party.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Jason Green

      May 5, 2015 at 5:00am

      Know who the "real Conservatives" are Federally? The Greens! Anyone lamenting the the loss of the pre Reform conservatives should have a sit down with a Green Campaign platform and actually read it through. They are long, orders of magnitude longer than the big three manage to muster up.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Brian

      Aug 8, 2015 at 1:15am

      yes fine and dandy legalize Cannabis and I can bet you a bottom dollar that we will be people going around, confused and their brain fried. Because my friends it does not stop at Cannabis, the biggest threat will be going into the harder stuff, I did see what it does to people and it is not good, I never tried the stuff myself, but during my military career, I enjoyed putting some soldiers in the guard room many times over night so they could get themselves straightened out and their head thinking right.

      0 0Rating: 0