When it comes to speaking out about bad public policy, the most common reason given for not doing so is that those in power do not care and will not listen. Yet, just last week, the House of Commons Justice Committee set aside Section 176 of Bill C-51 which would have removed legal protections prohibiting the disruption of a religious service leaving churches wide open for those who would opt to do so. How did this happen? Apparently the Committee and MPs received thousands of e-mails, letters, and phone calls from people and organizations expressing their sincere concerns with the removal of such legal protection and the Committee listened. They actually changed their minds!

Bill C-45 (the Bill which would legalize marijuana) is soon to have third reading; it is expected that the Liberals will limit debate to try to force this Bill through some time in the next three weeks and will do so unless thousands of Canadians find their voice and speak out immediately. Thankfully, parliament is not sitting this week and so now is the time to act. We have been communicating with some Members of Parliament and have recently been informed that the most effective step Canadians can take is to e-mail the Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Scheer, andrew.scheer@parl.gc.ca and politely but firmly ask him to speak out strongly against the legalization of marijuana via Bill C-45. When you e-mail MP Scheer also cc. your Federal Member of Parliament. To do this in most cases will take 30 minutes or less. We urge you to do this without delay. Canada’s future depends on you! If it takes you less than 30 minutes then please use the remaining time to call Andrew Scheer’s Constituency Office at (306) 790-4727 and also your Federal Member of Parliament.

If you have a few more minutes, we also ask you to write directly to the Prime Minister, justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca and phone his office (613) 995-0253. Also write or phone Health Minister, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Ginette.PetitpasTaylor@parl.gc.ca (613) 992-8072 and Justice Minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, Jody.Wilson-Raybould@parl.gc.ca (613) 992-1416.

Recently two significantly-related events took place in Richmond, BC where the City Council unanimously declared their opposition to Bill C-45 and the Richmond Public School Board voted 5-2 to support the City Council opposition. We are not alone. Common sense is on our side.

It is important, we are told, that we each send our own personalized e-mail (not just form letters), so to assist you we offer some points you may wish to discuss in your personal e-mail:

• Dr. Kellie Leitch, MP, paediatric surgeon says “. . . children’s brains develop until the age of 25 . . . the Liberals have thrown the scientific evidence out the window. The evidence is extremely clear, up to the age of 25 the developed brain can be impacted by this dangerous drug.”
• Young people may damage their brains for life; impaired memory function, loss of motivation, blurring of judgment, general confusion and slower responses to crises are some effects of THC use.
• Currently Bill C-45 proposes to allow children as young as 12 to legally possess up to 5 grams (10 joints) of marijuana; with that young age group, where moral judgment is not fully developed, it is guaranteed that even younger children will be exposed.
• The use of psychotropic THC (the active ingredient in “recreational” marijuana) will increase the incidence and severity of mental illness, already an epidemic in Canada.
• Mind-altering marijuana is a “gateway drug” and will lead many young people to experiment with “harder” drugs.
• Drug impairment will increase traffic collisions and deaths as happened in Colorado when marijuana was legalized there.
• There is no evidence that legalization of marijuana will eliminate crime and black market sales. In Colorado, criminal activity increased.
• Police boards across Canada are concerned as to the demand of increased police staff required to maintain public safety with the increased presence of marijuana.
• Employers will be challenged to employ and monitor drug-free employees; workplace hazards and workplace injuries will increase.
• Students’ motivation and ability to learn will be impaired.
• Teachers’ ability to maintain classroom order with drug impaired students will be further eroded.
• Schoolyards may be powerless to prevent “legal” possession.
• Legal drug use will drive a wedge between parents and their children; parental intervention may even be deemed illegal.

These are only a few points that you could cover and for sure there are many more.

We urge you send your e-mail to MP Andrew Scheer today, to copy your MP and to call each one personally. Thirty minutes or less to stop Bill C-45; will you do it?

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