Cross-posted from Mises Canada
We can all sleep safe and sound tonight knowing that Health Canada and the RCMP
are working to ensure “public safety.” In two weeks, 37,000 licensed
marijuana growers will effectively become criminals when the new medical
marijuana law takes effect. The new law limits the production and
distribution to a few players chosen by federal bureaucrats. Of course,
these 37,000 people won’t become criminals if they follow Health
Canada’s order to “break up the plant material, blend the marijuana with
water and mix it with cat litter to mask the odour. This can then be
placed in your regular household garbage.” Growers also need to inform
Health Canada that they’ve done this, having until April 30 to comply.
Failure to do so will result in having one’s name and address revealed
to law enforcement via Health Canada’s database.
Health Canada stops short at providing this information to
municipalities, citing federal privacy laws. Because sharing this
information with federal and provincial cops is okay, but the idea of
getting municipalities involved infringes on some arbitrary privacy
right. While I don’t condone federal bureaucracies having any personal
information – let alone sharing it with other bureaus – I think that the
decision to keep municipalities out of the loop may be more strategic
than any worrying over violating individual rights. After all, what is a
bigger violation of rights than making people criminals overnight
because they grow their own medicine? Municipalities, particularly in
British Columbia (or more specifically, the town of Nelson and the city
of Vancouver), might help challenge this blatant violation of private
property. We can’t have that. Best to keep municipalities confined to
their constitutional roles – glorified custodians. And so it goes in
Canada, where rights are outlined in some piece of paper called the
Charter where the words “property” or “medicine” are nowhere to be seen.
And that, I believe, is part of the problem. The internet is aflame
with comments calling this a violation of “our” Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. Of course, if one takes this approach then one must be
consistent and side with the Harper Government: the Charter does not
guarantee the right to produce one’s own medication. This never seems to
be a problem when it’s someone looking for private delivery of
health-care. “Move to America,” is the collective response, “how dare
you challenge our Canadian values!” Well then, doesn’t the same logic
apply? If government health-care is superior to private enterprise then
what exactly is the issue here? Shouldn’t we just trust the Harper
Government and Health Canada’s new medical marijuana scheme? Why allow
medical marijuana to remain privatized when it is clearly a violation of
Our Universal Health Care System?
But I don’t wish to make enemies with medical marijuana users. In
fact, with the exception of rallying cries about the Charter, I agree
with them. Many people grow their own marijuana because it is
economical. These new government-approved start-ups are talking about
$10 a gram. That tends to be the market price across Canada, but not
everyone can afford that. If one grows their own (and is good at it),
they’re looking at $3-$5 a gram. Maybe even less. Not to mention, since
the old laws confined growers to just a few patients, the relationship
between grower and patient was more personal. Kind of like having a
family doctor instead of that random doctor you wait four hours to see
and spends less than five minutes with you. The likely scenario is that
the government will start subsidizing the price to make it more
affordable, but of course that opens up another can of worms….
But remember, this all for public safety. Government documents insist
that growing marijuana at home “poses hazards such as mould and fire.”
True. So why stop at marijuana? Houses themselves are accidents waiting
to happen – y’know, with all that electricity and stuff. Best to have
government agents come by the first Monday of each month to inspect our
homes in the name of public safety. In fact, can you imagine the vast
improvements of our health-care system if government agents could
rummage through our kitchen and throw out unhealthy foods? Think of all
the public safety it would create!
Of course I’m being sarcastic. The idea that the RCMP (or the OPP, or
whoever) are going to break into people’s homes to enforce this new
crony-capitalist model is affront to the liberty of Canadians. Forget
the Charter, this is a violation of one’s basic liberties as a human
being. What is the rationale for sharing this sensitive information with
police? Where is the rationale in providing this information to Health
Canada to begin with? Why can’t people grow their own marijuana? Because
of potential fires? Why not ban all gardening, then? I guess these are
all rhetorical questions because, clearly, there is no rationale in the
drug war. And with a press release
that says, “Health Canada does not endorse the use of marijuana” one
must question their rationale in implementing a medical marijuana
program. Best just to legalize it and leave us alone. Ultimately,
governments cannot control markets no matter how hard they try. Even if
it is in the interests of “public safety”. But then what exactly is safe
about having men with guns break into your house to destroy your
plants?
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