The Honourable Bardish Chagger PC, Minister of Small Business and Tourism & Liberal Member of Parliament for 35112 Waterloo (Ontario)

The Honourable Bardish Chagger PC, Minister of Small Business and Tourism & Liberal Member of Parliament for 35112 Waterloo (Ontario)

On Tue, Jan 26, 2016 at 7:37 AM, Minister of Small Business and Tourism - Ministre de la Petite Entreprise et du Tourisme (IC) <sbt.minister-ministre.pet@canada.ca> wrote:

Dear Sam Vekemans:

 

On behalf of the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, thank you for your email of January 7, 2016, attaching your e-petition for the removal of cannabis from Canada’s national drug schedule and your proposal to repeal the prohibition of cannabis.

As the issues you have raised fall under the purview of the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, I have taken the liberty of forwarding your correspondence to her office for consideration.

Please accept my best wishes.

Sincerely,

Laura Morin

Special Assistant

****
“Dear NORML,
Thanks for the email and your participation on this much needed conversation.
I believe that legalization—not simply decriminalization—is the best way to keep marijuana out of the hands of children and to prevent the proceeds from funding criminal activities.
The Conservatives are committed to continuing a failing war on drugs, which has led to almost half a million Canadians being arrested on marijuana-related charges at an estimated cost to the Canadian public of $500 million since 2006. Other countries have already come to the conclusion that waging this kind of war on drugs has been an abject failure.
We need to reform marijuana laws in Canada. Again, thank you for your email.
Sincerely,
Bardish Chagger
Liberal Candidate for the Federal Riding of Waterloo”
2015 election
http://norml.ca/election/

Petition to the Government of Canada e-18 Cannabis Legalization

Add caption

https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-18
Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:

• Cannabis prohibition began[1] with no scientific, medical or social justification, and was initiated as an effort to harass, punish and deport racial minorities;
• The prohibition of cannabis has caused many social and economic harms, criminalized millions of Canadians for no benefit, and financed organized crime;
• Cannabis has the potential to provide food, medicine, fibre[2], fuel and building materials; and
• Cannabis medicines are safe and effective for treating a wide variety of ailments, yet are not readily available to all who require them.

We, the undersigned, Citizens or residents of Canada, request (or call upon) the Government of Canada to

immediately:

1. Repeal the prohibition on possession and personal cultivation of cannabis;
2. Repeal Section 462.2 of the Criminal Code[3], which bans literature and harm reduction devices like waterpipes[4] and vaporizers;
3. Permit patients or their designated grower[5] to provide medical cannabis as recommended by a physician; and
4. End police raids against community medical cannabis dispensaries, and enable their municipal regulation, as per the position[6] of the Union of BC Municipalities; and within one year:
5. Allow farmers to harvest and sell the cannabinoid-rich resin from their plants, as per the recent resolution[7] of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance;
6. Completely end the prohibition of cannabis, by removing it entirely from the CDSA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act);
7. For those convicted for a cannabis offence under the CDSA, on a case-by-case basis[8]: Grant a full pardon and amnesty for past offences, expunge[9] criminal records and release all prisoners currently serving time; and
8. Permit Provinces, Territories and First Nations to decide how they want to tax, regulate and distribute cannabis as needed.

******* [1] Further the explanation, Cannabis prohibition was enacted because it was in direct competition with the fledgling pharmaceutical industry. Hemp was restricted under the same act because it was in direct competition with oil, lumber (which includes pulp and paper) and Cotton. Racism was used as a means of creating fear to further that end.)

[2] "Fibre" is the Canadian spelling https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibre

[3] Offence and Punishment Marginal note:Offence 462.2 Every one who knowingly imports into Canada, exports from Canada, manufactures, promotes or sells instruments or literature for illicit drug use is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction (a) for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both; or (b) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding three hundred thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both. R.S., 1985, c. 50 (4th Supp.), s. 1. http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/page-223.html#docCont

[4] "waterpipe" although in online stores it's called "water pipe". The term should really be waterpipe and the industry will correct it's self over time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah

[5] Designated growers "A temporary injunction allowed home and delegated growing to continue until the challenge of the new Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) could be heard in Federal Court." Court to decide who can grow medical marijuana by Jeff Nagel - BC Local News posted May 1, 2015 at 11:00 AM http://www.langleytimes.com/news/302194551.html

[6] “Local governments in B.C. have declared they have the authority to license medical marijuana dispensaries, defying the federal government’s opposition to regulation of the illegal stores. Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention voted in favour of a resolution endorsing the position that they have the power to regulate pot dispensaries. The resolution states that an ongoing court challenge of Ottawa’s medical marijuana laws has created uncertainty while pot shops proliferate and cause problems in B.C.” B.C. cities vote to defy Ottawa’s stand on pot shops VANCOUVER — The Canadian Press Published Friday, Sep. 25, 2015 1:54PM EDT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-municipalities-vote-to-have-power-over-pot-shops-despite-ottawas-stance/article26545092/

[7] Hemp Industry in Canada Missing Out on Huge Market Opportunity Over 200 producers, processors and leading hemp experts from Canada and aroudn the world met in Calgary this week to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing Canada’s hemp sector. Central to the discussion was the fact that the industry cannot utilize the whole hemp plant. As a result Canadian hemp farmers are missing out on a potential billion dollar market opportunity. The culprit in this injustice is ancient regulatory controls on the hemp plant. Hemp contains very low levels of the psychoactive ingredient THC (delta 9) while on the other hand it can contain significant levels of other beneficial cannabinoids such as CBD. http://www.hemptrade.ca/news.php

[8] If the conviction included other charges (excluding the cannabis offences under the CDSA), would the judgement remain the same or should the charges be lessened based on looking at the revised charges?... This would be the litmus test for each case. (that's what is meant by 'case-by-case basis')

[9] Justice / Oral Questions / December 11th, 2015 / 11:45 a.m. / NDP Murray Rankin Victoria, BC

Mr. Speaker, during the election, the Liberals promised to finally end criminalizing Canadians for simple possession of marijuana. The current government could have taken immediate action, but has not. There are no details, no timeline for decriminalizing marijuana possession, no commitment to expunge the record of hundreds of thousands of Canadians convicted for simple possession, and thousands are still unfairly facing possible arrest, tying up the police and our justice system.

Why has the government not taken any action to legalize simple possession of marijuana?

*********

Credits: Dana Larsen, Sensible BC director - published an article ' for the Huffington Post '7 Key Things Trudeau's Pot Legalization Must Include' http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/dana-larsen/trudeau-pot-legislation_b_8336022.html this was used for the initial creation of the Bill S-420 text. Michael D Dempsey (GPC 2015 candidate for Oshawa) who reached out to Elizabeth May to get her support. Sam K Vekemans, Cannabis Activist - created the e-petition, starting with just the numbered points with the 'constitutional right' as the only bullet point, and published the text for the Bill S-420 The Cannabis Freedom Act, and put this together. Sheila Jacobson, Cannabis Activist - created another independent e-petition about the same time as Sam Vekemans did, which included the initial version of the top 7 bullet points. The Case R. vs. Smith is recognized and referenced as the source for the Constitutional Right. http://cannabisdigest.ca/r-v-smith/ Ted Smith's article published on Cannabis Digest was also used for reference to the CAMCD along with other ideas. http://cannabisdigest.ca/overgrowing-the-liberal-legalization-scheme/ The overall Cannabis Activist community who shared ideas for this draft petition and were also made aware of this. (without it being shared, people wouldn't know). YOU the viewers who read and share this draft petition and random people who submit comments for recommendations for improvement. To MP Kennedy Stewart for passing the Bill to make this e-petitions system possible. And finally, the Office of the Petitions Clerk for providing the technical feedback & recommendations for submitting this petition. And also thanks to Conservative MP Blaine Calkins who did agree to submit the petition (when approached by Sheila Jacobson) but only if it was a Paper petition.

The Petition has been submitted to Elizabeth May on January 10, 2016 at 10:18am (EDT), it's now awaiting sponsor approval

The petition has been supported by the 1st 5 supporters who confirmed their support, and has been submitted to Elizabeth May on January 10, 2016 at 10:18am (EDT). It is now awaiting the sponsor approval.

(reposted from facebook)

https://www.facebook.com/notes/bill-s-420-the-cannabis-freedom-act/e-18-petition-to-parliament-on-cannabis-reform/1197212960295135

The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk PC, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour & Liberal Member of Parliament for 46006 Kildonan-St. Paul (Manitoba)

The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk PC, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour & Liberal Member of Parliament for 46006 Kildonan-St. Paul (Manitoba)

On Tue, Aug 9, 2016 at 2:00 PM, <MaryAnn.Mihychuk@parl.gc.ca> wrote:
Dear Sam,
Thank you for taking the time to write to me with your support for the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate your interest and am heartened by your participation in this historic conversation.
My first priority – and that of the Liberal Government – is to protect Canadians’ public health and public safety. We recognize that the current system is broken, and we have committed to working with health and safety experts from across the country to implement a new, more effective plan.
As the Minister of Health, Jane Philpott, has said “we will introduce legislation in the Spring of 2017 that ensures we keep marijuana out of the hands of children and profits out of the hands of criminals.” Since then, the Government has launched a task force that will provide expert advice on how the legalization process should take place; it will include perspectives from many different sectors, including health, justice, law enforcement, and public safety.
I have said it before and I will say it again, I support the legalization of marijuana.
Thank you again for writing to me on this important matter. I encourage you to continue the conversation and reach out again on any issue of concern.
Yours sincerely,
Hon. MaryAnn Mihychuk
Member of Parliament for Kildonan-St. Paul

"
Would you support legalizing a small amount of marijuana? Have you ever tried it?

I do support the legalization of marijuana. Tax it, regulate it and prevent users from buying it from drug dealers on the streets
"
MaryAnn Mihychuk, Liberal — Kildonan-St. Paul
'Liberal Party did more for Senate reform in one morning than Stephen Harper has done in 10 years'
CBC News Posted: Oct 07, 2015 7:48 AM CT Last Updated: Oct 07, 2015 7:48 AM CT
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/election-manitoba-kildonan-st-paul-maryann-mihychuk-1.3260164


On Dec 10, 2015 8:34 AM, <MaryAnn.Mihychuk@parl.gc.ca> wrote: Good morning Sam,
Thank you for taking the time to send your ideas. This email was very informative and well-written. The government of Canada is indeed committed to legalizing, restricting and regulating access of marijuana.
These ideas will be brought to the Minister's attention and they have been made note of.
Regards,
Julia Demkowycz
On behalf of the Hon. MaryAnn Mihychuk Member of Parliament, Kildonan - St. Paul Minister of Employment, Workforce Development & Labour? ________________________________ From: Sam Vekemans <samvekemans@gmail.com> Sent: December 8, 2015 1:17 AM To: The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk PC; Mihychuk, MaryAnn - M.P. Subject: The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk PC Re: Removing Cannabis From the Drug Schedule
Monday December 7, 2015
The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk PC Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Re: Removing Cannabis from the Drug Schedule.
Dear Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk,
Now that the Governor General has stated (on Friday December 4th 2015) in the Speech from the Throne, "To that end, the Government will introduce legislation that will ... legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana". The question remains on exactly how to go about doing this.
I have taken the liberty of drafting my own independent Bill that I hope Members of Parliament & The Senate will accept & adopt. I have titled and Numbered the Bill, and put it in the format of existing legislation.
Attached is a PDF (and links) for Bill S-420 'Remove Cannabis from the Drug Schedule Act'
This legislation clearly outlines 6 things needed to be done.
1. End the Prohibition of Cannabis by completely removing it from Schedule II, VII and VIII;
2. Grant amnesty for past convictions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;
3. Let the Provinces, Territories and First Nations decide how they want to (tax, regulate, control, distribute) cannabis if needed;
4. Permit personal growing akin to normal municipal regulations for growing garden plants at home;
5. Recognize the value of dispensaries working with any Provincial, Territorial or First Nations legal access system; and
6. Repeal the Industrial Hemp Regulations, Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, along with the Other Consequential regulations relating to Cannabis as a Schedule II, VII and VIII substance.
Also attached is a PDF for Bill C-421 'The Cannabis Freedom Act'.
An Act to establish a National Day of Recognition and Reconciliation for those who have lost their lives or had their lives ruined from the failed Drug War, by designating the 20th day of April to be known as 'Cannabis Freedom Day' as a non-statutory holiday.
I look forward to your reply, comments and support for this proposal.
Yours sincerely,
Sam Vekemans

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan PC, Minister of National Defence & Liberal Member of Parliament for 59040 Vancouver South (BC)

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan PC, Minister of National Defence & Liberal Member of Parliament for 59040 Vancouver South (BC)


On Dec 14, 2015 6:04 AM, <DND_MND@forces.gc.ca> wrote: Dear Sam Vekemans:
On behalf of the Honourable Harjit Singh Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, I wish to thank you for your email.
The issue you raise falls under the responsibility of the Minister of Justice, and consequently I have taken the liberty of forwarding your correspondence to the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould.
I trust that this is helpful.
Sincerely,
Denis Paradis Manager Minister’s Correspondence Unit
c.c. The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, PC, MP Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message: From: Sam Vekemans <samvekemans@gmail.com> Date: December 8, 2015 at 1:14:38 AM EST To: "The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan PC" <harjits.sajjan@parl.gc.ca>, "The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan PC" <info@sajjan.ca> Subject: The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan PC Re: Removing Cannabis From the Drug Schedule
Monday December 7, 2015
The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan PC Minister of National Defence House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Re: Removing Cannabis from the Drug Schedule.
Dear Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Now that the Governor General has stated (on Friday December 4th 2015) in the Speech from the Throne, "To that end, the Government will introduce legislation that will ... legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana". The question remains on exactly how to go about doing this. I have taken the liberty of drafting my own independent Bill that I hope Members of Parliament & The Senate will accept & adopt. I have titled and Numbered the Bill, and put it in the format of existing legislation. Attached is a PDF (and links) for Bill S-420 'Remove Cannabis from the Drug Schedule Act' This legislation clearly outlines 6 things needed to be done. 1. End the Prohibition of Cannabis by completely removing it from Schedule II, VII and VIII; 2. Grant amnesty for past convictions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; 3. Let the Provinces, Territories and First Nations decide how they want to (tax, regulate, control, distribute) cannabis if needed; 4. Permit personal growing akin to normal municipal regulations for growing garden plants at home; 5. Recognize the value of dispensaries working with any Provincial, Territorial or First Nations legal access system; and 6. Repeal the Industrial Hemp Regulations, Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, along with the Other Consequential regulations relating to Cannabis as a Schedule II, VII and VIII substance. Also attached is a PDF for Bill C-421 'The Cannabis Freedom Act'. An Act to establish a National Day of Recognition and Reconciliation for those who have lost their lives or had their lives ruined from the failed Drug War, by designating the 20th day of April to be known as ‘Cannabis Freedom Day’ as a non-statutory holiday.
I look forward to your reply, comments and support for this proposal.
Yours sincerely, Sam Vekemans

Darrell Samson, Liberal Member of Parliament for 12008 Sackville–Preston–Chezzetcook (NS)

Darrell Samson, Liberal Member of Parliament for 12008 Sackville–Preston–Chezzetcook (NS)


On Dec 15, 2015 6:53 AM, <Darrell.Samson@parl.gc.ca> wrote:
Mr. Vekemans,
Thank you very much for your email to Mr. Samson. We very much appreciate your feedback and comments on this matter. When legislation is proposed this government, Mr. Samson will be very much engaged in the debate.
Again, we thank you for your comments and for your involvement on this important file.
Sincerely,
From: Sam Vekemans [mailto:samvekemans@gmail.com] Sent: November 15, 2015 8:52 PM To: Samson, Darrell - M.P. Subject: Darrell Samson Re: Removing Cannabis From the Drug Schedule
Sunday November 15, 2015
Darrell Samson MP Sackville–Preston–Chezzetcook (NS) House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Re: Removing Cannabis from the Drug Schedule.
Dear Darrell Samson,
As you know, the 'legalization of Marijuana' was and is a very important issue for Justin Trudeau & the Liberals to get elected. The question remains on exactly how to go about doing this.
I have taken the liberty of drafting my own independent Bill that I hope Members of Parliament and The Senate will accept & adopt. I have titled and Numbered the Bill, and put it in the format of existing legislation. Attached is a PDF (and links) for Bill S-420 'The Cannabis Freedom Act'
An Act to Remove Cannabis from the Drug Schedule. This legislation clearly outlines 6 things needed to be done. (a) remove Cannabis from the Drug Schedule II, VII and VIII. (b) expunge criminal records for those convicted under the CDSA (c) respect & recognize victims of the failed Drug War by designating a non-statutory holiday on the 20th day of April of each Year 'Cannabis Freedom Day' (d) designate the responsibility of any regulations (taxations) to the provinces and first Nations. (e) Permit personal growing akin to normal municipal regulations for growing garden plants at home; and (f) recognize the value of dispensaries working for patients and consumers to keep communities safe, strong, prosperous and healthy.
I look forward to your reply, comments and support for this proposal.
Yours sincerely,
Sam Vekemans

Re: Office of the Prime Minister / Cabinet du Premier ministre

On Dec 18, 2015 1:00 PM, "Prime Minister/Premier Ministre" <PM@pm.gc.ca> wrote: Dear Mr. Vekemans:

On behalf of the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence, in which you raised an issue that falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

Please be assured that your comments have been carefully reviewed. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to Minister Wilson-Raybould, who, I am certain, will wish to give your views every consideration.

Thank you for taking the time to write.

J.P. Vachon Manager/Gestionnaire Executive Correspondence Services for the Prime Minister's Office Services de la correspondance de la haute direction pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre

>>>

>>>

>>>>

Re: Your December 7, 2015 correspondence to the Minister of Finance

On Dec 30, 2015 1:56 PM, "MinFinance / FinanceMin (FIN/FIN)" <fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca> wrote:

(pdf attached)

TODO: Copy/paste screenview of it

RE: The Honourable Rob Nicholson PC QC Re: Removing Cannabis From the Drug Schedule & support for e-petition

On Jan 5, 2016 6:12 AM, <rob.nicholson@parl.gc.ca> wrote:

Good morning Sam Vekemans ,

Thank you for your work on this important issue. Please be advised that I will present this to Mr. Nicholson when parliament returns at the end of January.

Regards,

Cheri Elliott

Executive Assistant to the Honourable Rob Nicholson Q.C., M.P. / Adjointe de direction l’hon. Rob Nicholson, Q.C.,député

149 Confederation Bldg. / 149 édifice Conferderation

House of Commons / Chambre des communes

613-995-1547

Rob.Nicholson@parl.gc.ca

From: Sam Vekemans [mailto:samvekemans@gmail.com] Sent: December 25, 2015 6:05 PM To: Nicholson, Robert Douglas - Riding 2; Nicholson, Robert Douglas - Assistant 1; Nicholson, Robert Douglas - M.P.; Nicholson, Robert Douglas - M.P. Subject: The Honourable Rob Nicholson PC QC Re: Removing Cannabis From the Drug Schedule & support for e-petition

Friday December 25, 2015

The Honourable Rob Nicholson PC QC, MP Niagara Falls (Ontario) House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Re: Removing Cannabis from the Drug Schedule & support for e-petition.

Dear Honourable Rob Nicholson,

I am working on an e-petition for this removing of Cannabis from the drug schedule. Would you consider sponsoring it? Attached is a screen-view of it, and below is the text of the petition. Also, Now that the Governor General has stated (on Friday December 4th 2015) in the Speech from the Throne, "To that end, the Government will introduce legislation that will ... legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana". The question remains on exactly how to go about doing this. I have taken the liberty of drafting my own independent Bill that I hope Members of Parliament & The Senate will accept & adopt. I have titled and Numbered the Bill, and put it in the format of existing legislation. Attached is a PDF (and links) for Bill S-420 An Act to repeal the Prohibition of Cannabis (Repeal Cannabis Prohibition Act)'

I look forward to your reply, comments and support for this petition and proposal.

Yours sincerely,

Sam Vekemans

Tracey Ramsey, NDP Member of Parliament for / Député NDP Pour 35026 Essex (Ontario)

Tracey Ramsey, NDP Member of Parliament for / Député NDP Pour 35026 Essex (Ontario)

On Jan 13, 2016 10:50 AM, <Tracey.Ramsey@parl.gc.ca> wrote:
Dear Mr. Vekemans,
Thank you for taking the time to email me. I apologize for my delayed response.
I have looked over your correspondence and have forwarded onto the NDP’s Health Critic, Don Davies as he is our party’s lead on all issues relating to health and the best person to respond to this issue.
Thank you again and I wish you all the best,
Tracey Ramsey, MP Essex


From: Sam Vekemans [mailto:samvekemans@gmail.com] Sent: December 10, 2015 5:55 AM To: Ramsey, Tracey - M.P. Subject: Tracey Ramsey Re: Removing Cannabis From the Drug Schedule & support for e-petition
Thursday December 10, 2015
Tracey Ramsey, MP Essex (Ontario) House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Re: Removing Cannabis from the Drug Schedule.
Dear Tracey Ramsey,
Now that the Governor General has stated (on Friday December 4th 2015) in the Speech from the Throne, "To that end, the Government will introduce legislation that will ... legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana". The question remains on exactly how to go about doing this. I have taken the liberty of drafting my own independent Bill that I hope Members of Parliament & The Senate will accept & adopt. I have titled and Numbered the Bill, and put it in the format of existing legislation. Attached is a PDF (and links) for Bill S-420 'Remove Cannabis from the Drug Schedule Act' This legislation clearly outlines 7 things needed to be done.
1. End the Prohibition of Cannabis by completely removing it from Schedule II, VII and VIII;
2. Repeal the Industrial Hemp Regulations, Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, along with the Other Consequential regulations relating to Cannabis as a Schedule II, VII and VIII substance;
Grant amnesty for past convictions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;
3.
4. Put an immediate end to arrests for simple possession and for cultivation of cannabis plants;
5. Permit personal cultivation akin to normal municipal regulations for growing garden plants at home;
6. Let the Provinces, Territories and First Nations decide how they want to (tax, regulate, control, distribute) cannabis if needed; and
7. Recognize the value of dispensaries working with any Provincial, Territorial or First Nations legal access system. Also, I am working on an e-petition for this removing of Cannabis from the drug schedule. Would you consider sponsoring it? Attached is a screen-view of it, and below is the text of the petition.
I look forward to your reply, comments and support for this proposal.
Yours sincerely,
Sam Vekemans (address) samvekemans@gmail.com
Inc. http://www.slideshare.net/samvekemans/bill-s-420-the-cannabis-freedom-act-an-act-to-amend-the-controlled-drugs-and-substances-act
http://issuu.com/samvekemans/docs/bills-420c-420thecannabisfreedomact
Attached is the latest version of the PDF document, and this is the link to the Google Document where public comment is permitted. (PLEASE NOTE: The PDF is a static copy of the draft bill, as more people are becoming aware of this initiative, people are making recommendations to improve. Please check the live Google Document, or confirm back with me when your ready to use this document, then i can refine it more) https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YyXaydeO1Lj2Q-kKgQm9PFrCtWbxxoIUrUa0BsYCuHE Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:
· Cannabis is the safest herbal medicine known to mankind;
· Hemp has the potential to provide food, animal fodder, medicine, fiber, fuel and building materials if unregulated;
· Cannabis prohibition causes excessive social & economic harm and prevents actualization of environmental benefits;
· Access to cannabis as medicine is a constitutional right (Section 7 of the Charter) and access is not available to all who require it;
· Prohibition fuels and finances organized crime and gang violence;
· Raids on dispensaries and consequent harm to families and businesses continue unabated despite the Liberal government's impending legalization; and
· Cannabis prohibition began as a focused effort to harass, punish and deport racial minorities across North America;
We, the undersigned, Citizens or residents of Canada, request (or call upon) the Government of Canada to Amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to; 1. End the Prohibition of Cannabis by completely removing it from Schedule II, VII and VIII; 2. Repeal the Industrial Hemp Regulations, Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, along with the Other Consequential regulations relating to Cannabis as a Schedule II, VII and VIII substance; 3. Grant amnesty for past convictions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; 4. Put an immediate end to arrests for simple possession and for cultivation of cannabis plants; 5. Permit personal cultivation akin to normal municipal regulations for growing garden plants at home; 6. Let the Provinces, Territories and First Nations decide how they want to (tax, regulate, control, distribute) cannabis if needed; and 7. Recognize the value of dispensaries working with any Provincial, Territorial or First Nations legal access system.

Re: Office of the Prime Minister / Cabinet du Premier ministre

On Jan 13, 2016 12:25 PM, "Prime Minister/Premier Ministre" <PM@pm.gc.ca> wrote: Dear Mr. Vekemans:

On behalf of the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence regarding the legalization and regulation of marijuana.

Please be assured that your comments have been carefully reviewed. As this issue is of partIcular interest to the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to them, for their information and consideration.

Thank you for writing to the Prime Minister.

P. Monteith Executive Correspondence Officer for the Prime Minister's Office Agent de correspondance de la haute direction pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre

>>> From : Sam Vekemans samvekemans@gmail.com Received : 30 Nov 2015 04:34:34 PM >>>

>>> Subject : The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau PC Re: Removing Cannabis From the Drug Schedule >>>>

Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal Member of Parliament for 46011 Winnipeg Centre (Manitoba)

Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal Member of Parliament for 46011 Winnipeg Centre (Manitoba)

****
Hi
Thanks for taking the time to reach me. Apologies for missing your previous e-mail.

I definitely support the legalisation of cannabis. In fact, the Liberal Party is in favour of legalising, and, most importantly, *regulating* marijuana. That is, treating it like cigarettes or alcohol. It would be taxable and it would no longer enrich criminals, but its sale, and consumption, like alcohol or cigarettes, would not be allowed to minors.

Thank you for your interest and don’t hesitate to get back to me if you have any other questions.

– Robert
2015 election
http://norml.ca/election/



On Jan 14, 2016 12:37 PM, <robert.falcon@parl.gc.ca> wrote: Good day Sam,
Thank you for your enthusiasm on the matter. Please refer to the following regarding introducing of bills into Parliament, and the numbering of bills:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/House/compendium/web-content/c_d_bills-e.htm
Sim Pannu Assistant to Robert-Falcon Ouellette, MP for Winnipeg Centre RobertFalcon.ca<http://robertfalcon.ca/> ________________________________

From: Sam Vekemans <samvekemans@gmail.com> Sent: January 14, 2016 2:31 PM To: Ouellette, Robert-Falcon - M.P. Subject: Robert-Falcon Ouellette Re: Removing Cannabis From the Drug Schedule
Thursday January 14, 2016
Robert-Falcon Ouellette, MP Winnipeg Centre (Manitoba) House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Re: Removing Cannabis from the Drug Schedule.
Dear Robert-Falcon Ouellette,
Now that the Governor General has stated (on Friday December 4th 2015) in the Speech from the Throne, "To that end, the Government will introduce legislation that will ... legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana". The question remains on exactly how to go about doing this.
I have taken the liberty of drafting my own independent Bill that I hope Members of Parliament & The Senate will accept & adopt. I have titled and Numbered the Bill, and put it in the format of existing legislation.
Attached is a PDF (and links) for Bill C-420 An Act to repeal the Prohibition of Cannabis 'Repeal Cannabis Prohibition Act'
Understand:
* Cannabis prohibition began with no scientific, medical or social justification, and was initiated as an effort to harass, punish and deport racial minorities;
* The prohibition of cannabis has caused many social and economic harms, criminalized millions of Canadians for no benefit, and financed organized crime;
*Cannabis has the potential to provide food, medicine, fibre, fuel and building materials; and
*Cannabis medicines are safe and effective for treating a wide variety of ailments, yet are not readily available to all who require them.
Therefore, this legislation clearly outlines 8 things needed to be done. immediately:
1. Repeal the prohibition on possession and personal cultivation of cannabis; 2. Repeal Section 462.2 of the Criminal Code, which bans literature and harm reduction devices like waterpipes and vaporizers; 3. Permit patients or their designated grower to provide medical cannabis as recommended by a physician; and 4. End police raids against community medical cannabis dispensaries, and enable their municipal regulation, as per the position of the Union of BC Municipalities. and within one year: 5. Allow farmers to harvest and sell the cannabinoid-rich resin from their plants, as per the recent resolution of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance; 6. Completely end the prohibition of cannabis, by removing it entirely from the CDSA (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act); 7. For those convicted for a cannabis offence under the CDSA, on a case-by-case basis: Grant a full pardon and amnesty for past offences, expunge criminal records and release all prisoners currently serving time; and 8. Permit Provinces, Territories and First Nations to decide how they want to tax, regulate and distribute cannabis as needed.
I look forward to your reply, comments and support for this proposal.
Yours sincerely,
Sam Vekemans