Canadian Drug Policy - Support for Reform Grows In Spite of US Pressure

The US Office of National Drug Control Policy today released its first-ever National Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy. According to Benjamin Tucker on ONDCP's official blog:

The Strategy outlines new actions that seek to reduce the two-way flow of illicit drugs between the United States and Canada by increasing coordination among Federal, state, local, and tribal enforcement authorities, enhancing intelligence-sharing among counterdrug agencies, and strengthening our Nation’s ongoing counterdrug partnerships and initiatives with the Government of Canada and Canadian law enforcement agencies. The Strategy places a special emphasis on improving cooperation with tribal governments, devoting an entire chapter to enhancing law enforcement coordination on tribal lands. By strengthening integrated cross-border law enforcement between our two countries, the Strategy supports a key area of cooperation outlined by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper in the Beyond the Border declaration.

The big question is, how badly will US officials strongarm the Canadian government into continuing to tow the drug war line? Canada's current Prime Minister and governing party notwithstanding, Canadians have been growing more and more supportive of drug policy reforms, as evidenced by a new poll. According to the National Post's blog on Jan. 17, 2012:

Released on Tuesday, the poll suggests 66% of Canadians are in favour of the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana, with just 20% supporting leaving the laws as they are now.

The poll, conducted by Toronto-based Forum Research Inc., showed that residents of British Columbia were the most likely to support marijuana laws reform, with 73% of respondents indicating laws should be changed. Quebec had the lowest support for reforms, though the majority of respondents, 61%, supported changing marijuana legislation.

Politicians in Canada are slowly catching up with the public. The National Post also noted that:

This public support comes on the heels of a new party policy approved at the Liberal Party of Canada’s renewal convention pushing for the legalization and regulation of marijuana. While it was the Liberals’ youth wing who initially put forward the motion, the poll shows it’s baby boomers who are the most likely to respond favourably to new marijuana legislation.