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Behold...FAQs for Youth on Cannabis Law ReformsWhat's so bad about marijuana? A lot of research shows that marijuana is a harmful substance and young people are especially vulnerable to its effects. The government is renewing its investment in Canada's Drug Strategy to reduce drug use and, in part, to let people know the risks involved in using drugs. Heavy use of marijuana can damage a young person's heart and lungs - just like smoking can. It can also hurt a young person's ability to learn and to play sports, as well as impair a young person's ability to drive a car. We want to inform youth about the real harms of using marijuana through education and awareness activities. We also want to discourage marijuana use through improved enforcement and tough new laws targeting marijuana growers. I've heard the government wants to decriminalize marijuana. Does that mean it will be legal? No. Reforms to Canada's cannabis laws will not make marijuana legal. It will still be illegal to have marijuana on you, to sell, share or give marijuana to someone else. Growing marijuana is a serious crime with a maximum penalty of 14 years under the proposed reforms. Some countries that have "decriminalized" marijuana still have laws prohibiting cannabis, but the laws are not enforced. The Government of Canada's reform plan calls for alternative penalties for those possessing small amounts of marijuana which will include a fine and a notification to parents. The penalties are more severe if someone is possessing marijuana while driving a car or in the vicinity of a school. Our plan is to be more effective in enforcing the law while sending a strong message to young people that marijuana is harmful to health. Canada has no intention of legalizing marijuana. It remains a controlled substance and its use remains an offence. Why are you reforming the law on marijuana? We want to discourage people, especially youth, from using marijuana by keeping it illegal and punishing people for possession, while at the same time ensuring that the penalty fits the offence. That is why the proposed reform would make a ticket and a fine the penalty for possession of small amounts of cannabis. Under current laws, a young person who is found in possession of marijuana can receive a criminal conviction and even a jail sentence. A criminal conviction can limit career opportunities and making travel to other countries difficult. Does this mean that it will be okay to drive under the influence of cannabis? No. Driving while under the influence of drugs, including marijuana, poses a danger to yourself, and your passengers, as well as others. It is also a criminal offence. Do not drive while impaired and don't let your friends get behind the wheel while impaired. All too often, young people have mixed drugs, alcohol and driving with tragic results. As well, possessing a small amount of cannabis while driving, or even sitting behind the wheel of a parked car, would be a more serious offence than simple possession, resulting in a police officer writing you a ticket with a higher fine. Being in care and control of a motor vehicle will be considered an aggravating circumstance, earning an offender a $250 fine. What will happen to young people who bring marijuana to school? The Government of Canada wants to keep drugs as far away from schools as possible. That's why possession of small quantities of marijuana on or near school grounds where young people typically spend a lot of time will be treated as a more serious offence than simple possession. Possession on or near school grounds will be an aggravating condition, pushing the fine up to $250. Drugs and schools are a bad mix. Young people learn a lot in school and not just in classrooms. No one wants them learning about drugs on the schoolyard. Canada's Drug Strategy will work to create ways to inform young people about drugs and the risks of drug use to help kids make smart choices. How is getting a ticket going to stop someone from using marijuana? How is this any different from a parking ticket? What is the big deal? This is not about making it easy for anyone. Marijuana will remain illegal under the proposed law, and a person will receive substantial fines for possessing small amounts of marijuana. A young person, under the age of 18, will receive a $100 fine for possessing 15 grams or less of marijuana or $200 for one gram or less of cannabis resin (hashish). In addition, if the young person is near school grounds or using a car, the fine will be increased to $250. If the young person is in possession of more than 15 grams but less than 30 grams of marijuana, a police officer can either give the person a ticket or a summons to appear in criminal court. The ticket will carry a fine of $200. If the young person is convicted in criminal court, her or she could face a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail. Parents and guardians will be automatically notified in writing when a young person receives a ticket or a summons. This will encourage parents and guardians to be involved in discussing drug use with their children. The ticketing regime will allow police to use a ticket, when in the past they might have only issued a warning to the young person. This means that young people will be more likely to be held accountable for their actions. In the case of more serious offences, police will still have the option to use the criminal court process and the person may receive a jail sentence. Further, young people 18 years and older will be subject to adult penalties, which are tougher than the penalties for youth. A person over 18 would be fined $150 for possessing 15 grams or less of marijuana and $300 for possession of one gram or less of cannabis resin. In addition, if the young person over 18 is near school grounds or using a car, the fine will be increased to $400. If a young person over 18 possesses between 15 grams and 30 grams of marijuana, a police officer would decide if the person should receive a ticket or issue a summons for a summary conviction. The ticket fine would be $300. The summary conviction penalty would be up to six months imprisonment and/or up to a $1,000 fine. More effective police enforcement, greater accountability and a notice to parents should discourage young people from using marijuana. What else is the government doing to discourage drug use? The Government of Canada announced on May 27 that it will invest $245 million in Canada's Drug Strategy. The Strategy is a comprehensive plan to reduce drug use and the harms it causes through prevention, harm reduction, treatment and rehabilitation, and enforcement. A very important part of the Strategy is to develop innovative approaches to reduce the rate of drug use among young people and to prevent young people from trying drugs at an early age. Over the next five years, the Government of Canada will be working with partners across the country to achieve these goals. Another part of the Drug Strategy is improving enforcement by providing resources for operations targeting clandestine drug labs and marijuana grow operations. Renewal of Canada's Drug Strategy |
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