Judges have a way of telling policy makers how they really feel when it comes to laying down their interpretation of the law.
After calling Canada’s marijuana laws absurd, one judge in Quebec fined a man $1 for being in possession of 30 marijuana plants. He also indicated that lawyers and others associated with the legal system were most likely users of the plant themselves, according to Vice.
Judge Pierre Chevalier was presented with the case of a 46-year-old man, Mario Larouche, who was arrested for illegal possession of the plants. Larouche suffers from pain resulting from a car accident and was turned down for a medical marijuana prescription when he requested one from his doctor. The crown counsel recommended Larouche be jailed for 90 days and forced to pay a fine of $250, reported Le Droit.
However, Judge Chevalier passed on the recommendation as he believed Larouche is being punished by a system that “does not give people access to a natural medicine that goes back centuries.”
Larouche was handed a fine of $1 that totaled to $1.30 after taxes.
Judge Chevalier noted that crown attorneys, judges and lawyers probably make up the 50% of Canadians who use weed. He said society is afraid of change and past politicians feared losing votes from constituents:
“We’ve stagnated on this in Canada because, politically, the people were probably not ready for laws to evolve to this level.”
Calling Canadian cannabis laws antiquated, Judge Chevalier expressed support of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plans to legalize marijuana.
Read more at: http://nextshark.com/canada-marijuana-1-dollar-fine/#rmns
After calling Canada’s marijuana laws absurd, one judge in Quebec fined a man $1 for being in possession of 30 marijuana plants. He also indicated that lawyers and others associated with the legal system were most likely users of the plant themselves, according to Vice.
Judge Pierre Chevalier was presented with the case of a 46-year-old man, Mario Larouche, who was arrested for illegal possession of the plants. Larouche suffers from pain resulting from a car accident and was turned down for a medical marijuana prescription when he requested one from his doctor. The crown counsel recommended Larouche be jailed for 90 days and forced to pay a fine of $250, reported Le Droit.
However, Judge Chevalier passed on the recommendation as he believed Larouche is being punished by a system that “does not give people access to a natural medicine that goes back centuries.”
Larouche was handed a fine of $1 that totaled to $1.30 after taxes.
Judge Chevalier noted that crown attorneys, judges and lawyers probably make up the 50% of Canadians who use weed. He said society is afraid of change and past politicians feared losing votes from constituents:
“We’ve stagnated on this in Canada because, politically, the people were probably not ready for laws to evolve to this level.”
Calling Canadian cannabis laws antiquated, Judge Chevalier expressed support of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plans to legalize marijuana.
Read more at: http://nextshark.com/canada-marijuana-1-dollar-fine/#rmns
