Le Dain Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs
Encyclopedia
The Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs, often referred to as the Le Dain Commission after its chair Dean Gerald Le Dain
, was a Canadian government commission that was begun in 1969 and completed its work in 1972. The final report recommended that cannabis
be removed from the Narcotic Control Act
and that the provinces implement controls on possession and cultivation, similar to those governing the use of alcohol
. The report also recommended that the federal government conduct further research to monitor and evaluate changes in the extent and patterns of the use of cannabis and other drugs, and to explore possible consequences to health, and personal and social behaviour, resulting from the controlled legal distribution of cannabis.
A total of 365 submissions were presented at the hearings and an additional 50 were forwarded to the Commission's office. About 12,000 people attended and participated in these hearings, which included testimony from a number of prominent individuals including John Lennon
on 22 December 1969 in Montreal
.
Although the report was widely praised for its thoroughness and thoughtfullness, its conclusions were largely ignored by the federal government.
Gerald Le Dain
Gerald Eric Le Dain, CC was a Canadian lawyer and judge, who sat on the Supreme Court of Canada from 1984 to 1988....
, was a Canadian government commission that was begun in 1969 and completed its work in 1972. The final report recommended that cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
be removed from the Narcotic Control Act
Narcotic Control Act
The Narcotic Control Act, passed in 1961, was one of Canada's national drug control statutes prior to its repeal by the 1996 Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. It implemented the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.-References:...
and that the provinces implement controls on possession and cultivation, similar to those governing the use of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. The report also recommended that the federal government conduct further research to monitor and evaluate changes in the extent and patterns of the use of cannabis and other drugs, and to explore possible consequences to health, and personal and social behaviour, resulting from the controlled legal distribution of cannabis.
A total of 365 submissions were presented at the hearings and an additional 50 were forwarded to the Commission's office. About 12,000 people attended and participated in these hearings, which included testimony from a number of prominent individuals including John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
on 22 December 1969 in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Although the report was widely praised for its thoroughness and thoughtfullness, its conclusions were largely ignored by the federal government.
External links
- The Report of the Canadian Government Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs - 1972 - Le Dain Commission Report