加拿大为大麻合法化做好准备了吗？

 

 

为了在2018年7月1日让人们可以合法吸大麻消遣，联邦政府目前正加紧步骤来实现这一目标。许多人认为合法吸大麻的准备工作还没有到位，还有许多问题需要解决，包括如何控制大麻的销售和执法。

The Federal Government is pushing ahead with its goal to legalize the  recreational use of Marijuana by July 1, 2018. Many people feel that the program is ill-prepared for launching as there are questions yet to be answered involving various aspects of control regarding sales and law enforcement.

 

早在1923年，大麻就被加拿大政府的“麻醉品法修正案”列为“管制用品”。如一个人非法拥有少量大麻，他/她可能面临高达六个月的监禁。初犯可能被处罚款一千元。从1930年到1946年，有25人因持有大麻而定罪，1972年有12,000人定罪。“1961年的“禁毒法”将最高刑罚增加到“监禁14年到终生监禁”。但据我们所知，没有人因此罪被判处无期徒刑。

Since 1923, Marijuana was added to the Confidential Restricted List under the Narcotics Drug Act Amendment Bill in Canada. The maximum penalty for possession of small quantities was six months in prison and a $1,000 fine for a first offence. There were 25 convictions between 1930 and 1946, to 12,000 in 1972. The Narcotics Control Act of 1961 increased maximum penalties to “14 years to life imprisonment”. To our knowledge, no one was ever sentenced to life imprisonment for this offence.

 

大麻治病已经有几千年历史。许多族裔用大麻治病。 2001年，加拿大开始允许使用大麻治病，加拿大卫生部为此颁布了“大麻医疗用途条例”（ACMPR）。该条例规定只有那些有营业执照的人才能从事大麻的播种，种植和生产。

Medicinal use of Marijuana has a history dating back thousands of years across many cultures. Regulated medicinal use of marijuana became legal in Canada in 2001 under conditions outlined in the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) issued by Health Canada which also  issues licences for the cultivation of seed, grain and fibre production.

 

药用大麻主要用于化疗引起的恶心和呕吐。它也被用来治疗与神经有关的疼痛。研究表明，大麻对这些病痛“有一定的疗效”，但在治疗与艾滋病相关的长期疼痛和厌食症，大麻是否有效尚无定论。

Medicinal marijuana is used primarily to treat chemotherapy induced nausea and  vomiting. It is also used to treat peripheral pains relating to nerves. Studies showed that uses are “somewhat effective” with these conditions but benefits are inconclusive for other treatments such as long term pains and anorexia associated with AIDS.

 

包括加拿大，智利，哥伦比亚，德国，希腊，以色列，意大利，荷兰，波兰，秘鲁和乌拉圭在内的国家允许用大麻治病，。澳大利亚已通过法律，允许有些州将大麻用于医用和科学目的。在美国，29个州和哥伦比亚特区已通过立法，允许以某种形式持有，使用和派发药用大麻。

The use of medicinal marijuana is legal in a number of countries, some of which include Canada, Chile, Colombia, Germany,Greece, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Peru, and Uruguay. Australia has passed laws to allow the use of marijuana for medicinal and scientific purposes in some states. In the United States, 29 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation permitting the possession, use, and distribution of medicinal marijuana in some form.

 

在二十世纪六十年代，大麻成为整个北美地区大受欢迎的毒品。它在那些来自中产家庭的大学生中倍受欢迎（许多人被称为“嬉皮士”），随后，大麻流行到其他群体。 1969年，加拿大政府成立了皇家非药物毒品调查委员会，调查在加拿大非药用大麻的使用情况。该委员会在1972年的报告中建议取消对大麻拥有者刑法处置的条款，但不建议大麻合法化。随后的两界的联邦政府均讨论了这个建议，但没有改变法律。

In the 1960's, Marijuana surged in popularity throughout North America as a drug. It was popular among middle-class college students (many labelled as “Hippies”), only later expanding to other demographics. In 1969, the government formed the Royal Commission of Inquiry in the Non-Medicinal Use of Drugs to investigate the non-medicinal marijuana use in Canada. The commission's 1972 report recommended removing criminal penalties for marijuana possession but not for legalization. The subsequent two federal governments discussed the recommendation but they did not take steps to change legislation.

 

90年代期间，大麻的使用人数大大增加。安大略省1996年至2000年的统计数据显示，18至29岁的人口使用大麻的人从18％上升至28％。 2016年10月的一项全国民意调查显示，大约有500万加拿大成年人当时每月至少吸一次大麻。在大麻合法化后，预计这一数字将增加19％。这可能是一个非常夸张的估计，因为这意味着每六名加拿大人中就有一人吸大麻。

Marijuana use increased significantly during the 1990s. Statistics for Ontario between 1996 and 2000 indicated that use among 18-29 year olds increased from 18% to 28%. An October 2016 national poll suggests that about five million adult Canadians then use marijuana at least once a month and this was expected to increase by 19 percent after marijuana is legalized. This may be a very inflated estimate as that represents one marijuana user in every six Canadians.

 

为了迎合民意，加拿大联邦自由党党魁特鲁多在2015年联邦大选期间，承诺将个人使用大麻合法化。自由党赢得了184个席位，成立了多数政府，特鲁多任总理。自由党把个人使用大麻从“受管制的药物和物品法”中取消。但新的法律将严惩那些向未成年人兜售大麻和吸大麻后驾车的人。

In response to popular opinion, Justin Trudeau, the then leader of the Liberal Party of Canada committed to legalizing marijuana for personal use while campaigning during the Canadian federal election, 2015. The Liberals won the election with 184 seats, and formed a majority government with Trudeau as Prime Minister. The plan was to remove marijuana possession for personal consumption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; however, new laws would be enacted for greater punishment of those convicted of supplying marijuana to minors and impairment while driving a motor vehicle.

 

2017年11月下旬，国会通过了关于娱乐性吸食大麻的立法（C-45号法案）。此法生效日期为2018年7月1日。此法还得经过参议院批准。该法案规定，各省将有权决定分销和销售大麻的方法，以及吸大麻的法定年龄。联邦将征收大麻消费税，收入将与各省分享。

In late November 2017, the legislation to leglize marijuana for recreational use (Bill C-45) was passed by the federal House of Commons with an effective date of July 1, 2018 subject to the approval of the Bill by the Senate prior to that date. The Bill stipulates that the provinces will have the power to determine the method of distribution and sale and each will also establish the legal age for marijuana use. An excise tax will also be levied and the revenues are to be shared with the  provinces.

 

大麻合法化看来一帆风顺。加拿大将成为地球上第二个吸大麻（第一个是乌拉圭）不违法的国家。但这个立法可能会出现什么问题呢？在联邦和省级政府都参与了大麻合法化的启动项目，我们应该不必担心此法执行过程中的延误和困惑。事情有那么简单吗？

Everythings seems to fall into place so what can go wrong with this legislation to allow Canada to become the second country on earth to legalize marijuana (the first being Uruguay)? Since both levels of the Federal and Provincial governments are involved in kick starting the program, we have to expect delays and confusions in executing the task, right?

 

 

我将在下一篇文章中探讨在此法在2018年7月1日生效前所面临的噩梦。

Next time, I will explore the logistic nightmares to get this program ready by July 1, 2018.