Mainstream B.C. stood up in public Wednesday and moved the marijuana debate much closer to decriminalization than ever before.
The resolution passed at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria is the clearest indication yet of how far the “get tough with criminal pot smokers” stance has eroded.
More than 500 delegates considered a motion that declared the status quo a failure and urged decriminalization of marijuana, coupled with research on regulation and taxation.
After a passionate debate, they passed it by open show of hands. It was endorsed by such a clear margin – probably 60 per cent plus – they didn’t even bother to count the votes.
It’s just a recommendation to senior governments, so it has no legal effect. Lots of UBCM resolutions get ignored, and this one could get placed in a drawer as well. But it’s an unmistakable sign of which way the wind is blowing.
These were locally elected officials responsible for communities all over B.C. They are the collective personification of the establishment, and they showed loud and clear that they don’t buy the discredited establishment line any more.
– Read the entire article at Times Colonist.
