70% in Canada Support Legalizing or Decriminalizing Cannabis, According to Government Funded Poll

70% in Canada Support Legalizing or Decriminalizing Cannabis, According to Government Funded Poll

A newly released poll conducted for Canada’s Department of Justice has found that a strong majority of Canadians favor either the decriminalization or full legalization of cannabis, with less than 14% of respondents being in support of the status quo.

The survey, which included 3,000 participnants, was conducted by Ipsos-Reid, and commissioned by the nation’s Department of Justice; the poll cost around $175,000.

According to The Star, which obtained the poll early, Conservatives have been holding on to the results for months without releasing them to the public, though they apparently plan to do so at the end of this month.

The poll found that 37.3% favor legalizing cannabis, with an additional 33.4% favoring the decriminalization of cannabis. 13.7% say they support cannabis laws the way they are, and just 12% support harsher penalties for cannabis possession.

Surveyors did find that there was some confusion surrounding the current law, and the differences between decriminalization and legalization.

“There was a great deal of confusion about whether the possession of small amounts of marijuana is a crime, a ticketable offence, or completely legal,” claims the report. “Participants often used the two terms ‘legalization’ and ‘decriminalization’ interchangeably and did not demonstrate a clear understanding of the distinction between the two.”

Regardless of the confusion, the poll makes one thing clear; Canadians are fed up with current cannabis policies, and want a change in the law.

– TheJointBlog