Consuming Cannabis: Decriminalization and the Limits of Liberal Law in Canada
Keywords:
Cannabis, Decriminalization, Legalization, Racialization, LawAbstract
Through examining criminal record suspension, increased police powers, and the composition of the cannabis industry, we claim that decriminalization of cannabis in Canada as seen in the Cannabis Act of 2018 has not eradicated racialized impacts of law, but has instead set the framework to perpetuate and deepen racial inequality. By reviewing the history of drug laws in Canada and examining racialized enforcement, we claim that neither legalization nor decriminalization has undone the historical patterns of racial inequality. Instead, they represent a continued violence of law, racialized surveillance, and deepening of the colonial arrangement.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Cameron Franzmann, Kelly Gorkoff
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