Did Simpsons predict Canada’s legalisation?
The Simpsons is being credited with predicting Canada’s legalisation of weed in an episode from 2005.
According to Mail Online, in ‘Midnight Rx’, filmed during the show’s 16th season, “the conniving Mr Burns starts a chain reaction making prescription drugs affordable in Springfield, Illinois. Homer and Grampa Simpson start smuggling cheaper drugs from Manitoba, Canada, and find that they’ve been lauded as heroes. On one of their future runs, they are joined by Apu and Ned.
“While in Canada, Ned meets the Canadian version of himself – set with a curly afro – but instantly takes a disliking to him after his counterpart tries to give him a ‘reeferino.’
“‘It’s legal here,’ Canadian Ned tells his American counterpart. Ned quickly retorts: ‘They warned me Satan would be attractive. Let’s go!’”
“The Simpsons has predicted other historic occurrences before, most notably the eventual rise of Donald Trump as president.”
Pardons ‘not enough’ in Canada
The pardoning of convictions for cannabis possession in Canada would not go far enough and should instead be expunged, the New Democratic Party’s Guy Caron has said.
Pardons could still affect people in situations like job applications, travelling abroad and getting houses – and the person who wants a pardon has to apply and pay for it.
Caron, whose party holds 12% of seats in the Canadian parliament, said all governments records of convictions for cannabis possession should be erased.
“We now need to go back and be able to remove the stain that is on the record,” he told Radio 1 Newsbeat.
He said one reason for his position was that aboriginal Canadians and ethnic minorities were convicted more despite “a consumption that was broadly similar to the rest of the population”.
Podemos calls for legalisation in Spain
The leader of social democratic party Podemos has called for Spain to become the first European country to follow Canada and legalise cannabis.
Pablo Iglesias said: “It’s absurd that you can buy tequila or gin from a supermarket but marijuana is illegal.
“The legalisation must be implemented mainly for medical use and research.”
As the Birmingham Mail says, “Brits could soon be free to smoke cannabis in Benidorm and Magaluf as Spanish politicians push to legalise the drug” ….
MS patient given two-year suspended sentence
A women in Guernsey with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been given a two year suspended sentence for importing cannabis oil.
Christine Smith, 65, ordered the substance as a means of treating her symptoms, but it was intercepted by police.
Smith pleaded guilty and said she had no idea the substance, described as a brown liquid in a syringe, was a class A drug. Tests showed it contained Tetrahydrocannabinol, with an estimated street value of £200.
The court heard the drug could be licensed for medical purposes in Guernsey but only with permission of the island’s chief pharmacist or medical director, something Mrs Smith had not attempted to obtain.
Sentencing, Judge McKerrell said cases involving the importation of other class A drugs had led to long prison sentences, but Smith’s early guilty plea, probation report, and the many character references in her favour, led the court imposing a two year suspended sentence.