Canadians voters are headed to the polls on Sept. 20, and a vocal slice of the cannabis community says they’re planning to vote for the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), a far-right libertarian party headed up by former Conservative Maxime Bernier.
Beware the Hashmob
PPC’s platform rests on a unique concept of freedom: anti-lockdowns, fewer immigrants, fewer gun restrictions and preservation of so-called “Canadian values” — all things nearly 64% of respondents in a Twitter poll by PPC supporters and cannabis marketers Hashmob Media say they are willing to look past with the hopes that cannabis will be less regulated. (And look past the anti-semitism and the anti-science stuff too.)
“PPC would end all the unjust cannabis laws, over-regulations, corporate welfare,” tweeted Hashmob founder Chris Goodwin. “Just the Food & Drug Act and sales tax. Why do I never hear someone say, LPC did great with High Taxes & Regulations? Or NDP state-owned retail is better? Or Greens would do the best!”
And then there’s the PPC candidate in a London, Ontario riding
PPC candidate and cannabis entrepreneur Marc Emery (a.k.a. The Prince of Pot) who has been widely accused of sexual harassment – is running for a seat in London with the PPC. (For a detailed review of the accusations against Emery read Vice’s: Inside Marc Emery’s creepy cannabis empire.)
So when the term “safe female spaces” was the heading on one of his campaign flyers, those in the cannabis community took notice.
The safe space Emery is referring to is a transphobic policy preventing trans women from using women’s bathrooms — a non-issue for the majority of women across the country.
Cannabis on the election trail
Aside from Emery being on the PPC ticket, cannabis has not been a hot-button issue for the Liberals, Conservatives or New Democrats in this Canadian election. And three years after legalization in Canada, there is barely a mention of cannabis in any of their official platforms.
Legalization happened three years ago in Canada and it’s a non-issue now. That seems like progress.
Let that be a lesson for those in DC.
