NDP demands immediate decriminalization of marijuana

MP Murray Rankin says too many people are getting criminal records for something that will soon be legal
CBC News (Canada)
Monday, June 13, 2016

The federal New Democrats are putting forward a motion in Parliament to pressure the Liberal government to decriminalize pot before it is legalized. NDP Justice Critic Murray Rankin says it is not fair to arrest people and give them criminal records for possessing marijuana if the practice will soon be legal. "Despite Justin Trudeau's clear campaign promise to immediately fix marijuana laws in Canada, the government has done nothing for eight months except continue the senseless practice of handing out criminal records for personal use," said a statement released by Rankin.