Canada's Liberal Party Now Favors Legalized Marijuana

The Canadian Liberal Party voted yesterday to support the legalization of marijuana during its biannual party convention in Ottawa: of the 3,000 party delegates, 77% voted in favor. The move won't have an immediate impact, as the party was severely weakened in the May 2011 elections, and Canada will remain under the control of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government at least until the next federal election in 2015. But Liberal success in that election could now mean a wholesale revision of marijuana laws in Canada, which in recent years have become sterner in dealing with drug possession and distribution. On the other hand, the party isn't certain to implement the vote as part of its election platform; the party's leader, Bob Rae, cites “some practical questions we have to look at” before this happens. Canada's more left-leaning Democratic and Green parties already support legalization.