Legal Marijuana Policy, passed by Saskatchewan NDP, 2006

WHEREAS cannabis has a long history of social, religious and medicinal use in a wide variety of cultures around the world;

WHEREAS government figures estimate 3 million Canadians, or 14% of Canada's population, are current cannabis users, and about 45% of Canadians have used cannabis during their lifetime, and that virtually all these people are otherwise law-abiding citizens;

WHEREAS numerous public opinion polls conducted since 2000 show that most Canadians support eliminating criminal penalties for cannabis;

WHEREAS the value of the Canadian cannabis industry is estimated at between 5 and 20 billion dollars, and that if taxed and regulated this industry would generate substantial revenues for provincial and federal governments;

WHEREAS over 20,000 Canadians are arrested each year for cannabis possession, taking up a great deal of police and court time and resources;

WHEREAS the two major Canadian studies into the effects of cannabis and cannabis law, the 1971 LeDain Commission and the 2002 Canadian Senate Report, both recommended removing punishments for personal cultivation and possession, with the Senate report also recommending that cannabis should be regulated and made legally available to adults;

WHEREAS Canada's federal NDP advocates for non-punitive cannabis legislation, and in February 2006 the BC NDP passed a resolution showing their support for non-punitive marijuana laws;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Saskatchewan NDP support the Federal NDP's call for a non-punitive approach to cannabis law, including elimination of all penalties for personal cultivation and possession by adults, and actively work to institute non-punitive cannabis policies at the provincial level.