“Decriminalize pot ahead of legalizing it,” Jagmeet Singh

Jagmeet Singh the latest entrant to the federal NDP leadership race has said that “Its offensive taht the government is allowing people to be charged with marijuana possession while there’s a bill before Parliament to legalize it.” He impressed upon the Federal Liberals  “”to immediately decriminalize marijuana”, a position the federal NDP has held for years. The party promised in the 2015 election to decriminalize it right away if it formed government.

“Right now under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau we have people who are still being charged and are being incarcerated, for an offence that in the short term will eventually become completely legal,” Singh, a former defence lawyer, told a leading TV channel.

The federal Liberals have presented a bill to legalize marijuana for Canadians 18 years and older, but don’t expect it to become law before July 1, 2018. Trudeau campaigned in 2015 on legalizing marijuana use, but he and others in his government say the current law will be enforced until the new one takes effect.

Singh announced last Monday that he’s joining the race to replace Tom Mulcair as federal NDP leader. Four candidates are officially confirmed: MPs Charlie Angus, Niki Ashton, Guy Caron and Peter Julian. Former veterans’ ombudsman Pat Stogran has also said he wants to run.

Leadership contestants have to pay a $30,000 registration fee and submit signatures from 500 federal NDP members, with at least 50 members from each of Quebec, the Atlantic, Ontario, British Columbia and the North, and the Prairies.