The issue of legalizing marijuana is getting a lot of play in one key election riding in Vancouver.
Former West Vancouver police chief Kash Heed, who is running for the BC Liberals in the Vancouver-Fraserview riding, is accused of being soft on drugs by his NDP opponent.
Gabriel Yiu says Heed wants to legalize drugs, and sent out a press release to the Chinese media in both English and Chinese repeating that.
Yiu thinks this could have an impact on the election race.
"We don't know what he stands for on the drug issue," Yui said.
But Heed denies this.
"It's false information he is putting out there. He is so misinformed. I've never been for the legalization of any illegal drugs," Heed said.
This controversy comes in the same week an Angus Reid poll commissioned by CTV and the Globe and Mail shows a majority of people would like to see marijuana decriminalized.
Nearly two-thirds of British Columbians would choose to legalize marijuana in order to reduce violence, rather than consent to increased penalties, according to the poll.
Sixty-five per cent of respondents want to see marijuana decriminalized, and 35 per cent want to see increased penalties.
But those polled are almost evenly split on the enforcement of existing drug laws. A slight majority, 51 per cent, believes that enforcing these laws for the possession of "soft" drugs would make criminals out of law-abiding citizens who are not harming anyone. The remaining 49 per cent think not enforcing these laws lets criminals go free, which may lead to violence.
If the recent pro-marijuana 4/20 rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery was any indication thousands of people would like to smoke it without penalties. But Liberal leader Gordon Campbell, who says he has never smoked marijuana, is firmly against decriminalization.
"We need to listen to police on how to deal with this. And it's a challenge. I think there's an awful lot of connection with crime," he said.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Leah Hendry.
