General

More than half of Canadians think pot laws should be relaxed

But one in five believes the penalties should be even stricter

According to a Léger Marketing poll for QMI Agency, more than half of Canadians want laxer pot laws: 21 per cent think the federal government should decriminalize soft drugs like marijuana, while 34 per cent say it should be legalized and taxed like tobacco and alcohol. Also, men are more likely to believe in the legalization of marijuana than women, and more youth side with the slacker pot laws than seniors. But one in five Canadians think penalties for people caught with cannabis should be even tougher, and only 16% think the current laws are adequate. Léger vice-president Dave Scholz says Canadians’ views on pot have remained fairly consistent over the years, though this latest poll reveals a growing demand for more liberal laws in Ontario. “Given that we’re at numbers of half saying decriminalize or legalize, is it the will of the nation? Possibly,” he said. “Is it the best move forward for the government to take? That’s for them to figure out.”

Ottawa Sun

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