Group of researchers says Harper’s view on marijuana not rooted in science

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Stephen Harper has said Canadians don’t want to legalize marijuana, but some recent surveys suggests otherwise. Now, a group of scientists is adding its voice those opposed to Harper’s view on bud, saying his policy is based on more fiction than fact.

The Conservative leader has been steadfastly sticking to his anti-marijuana message, even as a new Ipsos poll backs up the Tory’s own internal numbers suggesting two-thirds of Canadians support decriminalization or legalization of pot.

VICE News spoke with the International Centre for Science In Drug Policy which has released two reports slamming the prime minister for false claims.

“They’re criticizing or calling into question a lot of the points that, for the last several years, he has been hammering home,” says VICE staff reporter Rachel Browne. “Things like if marijuana is legalized in the way that Trudeau would like it to be that children will have easier access to it and more people will become addicted to it.”

Browne says the Centre is asking Harper to become familiarized with the existing scientific literature on cannabis use.

“I think the big message from these scientists is that Harper should be careful when making these grandiose statements as fact because there is still a lot of ongoing research on the topic,” she tells NEWS 1130. “One of the things they point to is that when marijuana is legalized, there is no indication that children have easier access to it. In fact, youth have access to it in areas where it is criminalized.”

Browne believes the Conservative leader is positioning himself as an anti-drug crusader to appeal to his voter base, while trying to make his opponents out be naive to what he sees as the harmful impact of Liberal drug reform.

“For many researchers, it’s frustrating because Harper is spouting these ideas about marijuana ruining lives and ruining families because, according to them, it’s just not rooted in science. It’s political spin and it’s distracting people from wanting to look into what’s really going on around the world.”

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