Person rolling joint, close-up of hands and bag of marijuanaGetty Images
As working weekends go, the Liberal party's convention in Ottawa was a pretty productive one. The party chose a new president, Mike Crawley, and set up the race for leader, too.
But it was in the area of policy that they really sped through serious issues. The one making headlines: The Liberals have now agreed they will aim to legalize and regulate marijuana, reports the Globe's Jane Taber.
"Former Ontario MP Andrew Telegdi supported it, arguing that prime ministers, justice ministers and even American presidents have admitted to smoking pot," she writes. "'Let's not criminalize our youth,' he urged."
The sentiment, she reports, was "echoed by a delegate, who identified himself as a police officer. He says youth are made 'criminals' of every day because of the marijuana laws."
"This country does not need more prisons, it needs less criminals," she reports he said.
"And the motion passed," she writes.
Cue the pot jokes in some of the places you're expect, such as newspaper comment boards (See: Many of the Globe's 1300-plus comments on Jane Taber's story), and in one you might not: Interim leader Bob Rae's closing speech.
Writer John Geddes suggests Conservative party operatives will see gold in Mr. Rae's off-the-cuff remarks.
"If you want to be part of a group of free-thinking, innovative, thoughtful, pragmatic, hopeful, positive, happy people, come and join the Liberal party," Mr. Rae said, before adding, "And after the resolution on marijuana today, it's going to be a group of even happier people in the Liberal party."
Mr. Geddes suggests that Mr. Rae and his party may experience some nasty flashbacks of this moment come election time.
"Let's say they were up against a stern, family-values, law-and-order party in the next election. Might such a party not incorporate a smirky one-liner like Rae's into an attack ad? Who's taking this issue seriously, mom and dad Canada?"
Are you ready for this to become a major national debate? And do you think politicians need to be anything-but-lighthearted when it comes to the topic of legalizing marijuana?