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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Similar Views On Marijuana Arrests In Canada, U.S.

May 11, 2005

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Adults in Canada and the United States believe in more lenient penalties for the handling of cannabis, according to a poll by Ipsos-Reid for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Canada Institute on North American Issues. 59 per cent of Canadian respondents—and 57 per cent of American respondents—think the conviction of possession of marijuana should not always result in a criminal record.

In November 2004, the Canadian federal government re-introduced a controversial bill that seeks "alternate penalty frameworks" for the possession of small amounts of marijuana. If the bill passes, any person caught with 15 grams of the drug or less would face fines instead of criminal charges.

In July 2002, Canada became the first nation in the world to regulate the consumption of marijuana for medical reasons. Last month, the Canadian government authorized the use of Sativex—a medicine derived from cannabis. The drug will be used to provide neuropathic pain relief for people who suffer from multiple sclerosis.

In the U.S., several petitions to "reschedule" marijuana and remove it from a specific category of restricted substances have been filed in the courts.

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with this statement: "The conviction of possession of marijuana should always result in a criminal record."

................Agree.....Disagree
Canadians 39%.......59%
Americans 42%.......57%

Source: Ipsos-Reid / Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars / Canada Institute on North American Issues
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,000 adult Canadians and 1,000 adult Americans, conducted from Apr. 5 to Apr. 7, 2005. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.