The United States is often criticized for its drug laws, which have led to a very high incarceration rate for non-violent offenders. Some believe that the changes to the laws that were made in Canada could put Canada in the same position, making the same mistakes.
A lot of these changes went through in 2011, and they--the overall changes to the law, not just the drug-specific laws--were said to be some of the biggest alterations made in four decades.
The changes were made through a huge bill called the "Safe Streets and Communities Act" that focused on far more than just drugs. For example, it also changed sentencing for human traffickers, people who are in crime syndicates, and child pornographers.
However, in addition to these changes that saw some support, the bill also set up mandatory minimum sentences that will apply to those who are found with drugs. This includes marijuana. The minimum sentences apply even if the overall amount of drugs found is very, very small.
One professor who studied the bill lamented the fact that it would turn almost everyone into a criminal, in his estimation. He guessed that as many as 80 percent of the students that he taught at the university could be arrested and perhaps jailed. He also said that as many as 20 percent of them could be sent to jail for no less than two years, and that they'd be sent to a federal penitentiary, just because of common infractions at college parties.
It's important for students and all people in Canada to know what changes were made and how the new laws impact them.
Source: Open Society Foundations, "Canada’s Harsh New Drug Laws to Repeat U.S. Mistakes," M-J Milloy, accessed Jan. 15, 2016
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