Alan Young, professor at York’s Osgoode Hall Law School and marijuana-decriminalization crusader, spoke to several members of the news media about a provincial judge’s ruling that Canada’s pot-possession laws are invalid. Young told NOW Magazine: “There are probably enough voices in the House of Commons to move a simple decriminalizing [of marijuana] forward. But it’s not as far as we should be going. We shouldn’t even have to worry about cannabis when there are people dying in the streets from drug overdoses from impure heroin and getting HIV infection from injecting cocaine…. And we spend all our time dithering with cannabis.” A CP Wire story Jan. 9 quoted him: “It’s another nail in the coffin, and this is a big nail”, and he told the Toronto Star Jan. 10 that potential implications go beyond the issue of medical marijuana.
On air
James Laxer, political science professor at York’s Atkinson College, discussed the NDP leadership TV debate Jan. 8 on the following shows: “Points North” (CBCS-FM), Sudbury; “Breakaway” (CBVE-FM), Quebec; “Info Radio” (CBW-AM), Winnipeg; “All in a Day” (CBO-FM), Ottawa; “Afternoon Edition” (CBK-AM), Saskatchewan; “Voyage North” (CBQ-FM), Thunder Bay; and “The Afternoon Show” (CBU-AM), Vancouver.
Dianne Martin, professor at York’s Osgoode Hall Law School, discussed the backlog of cases in Ontario courts on “Morning North” (CBCS-FM), Sudbury Jan. 8.