Invest the money currently spent/wasted/stolen on the drug war into social programs to education in poor areas, provide skills training for others who find academic learning less fulfilling, and in general attack not the use of drugs but the issues that lead to drug abuse and addiction.

We keep banging our heads into the same intractable problems and never seem to allow reality to set in...drugs are NOT the problem, they are the symptom. If you want to get well from a cold, you do not make having a fever illegal...

We here in Canada are quickly learning that what this government says may not be true. They have a way of being all nice and sunny in word, but marching to the same old drummer when it comes to action.
If they were serious about legalization they would be decriminalizing possession for personal use right now, but they are not. In fact, since Trudeau became PM tens of thousands of Canadians have been arrested and charged with minor cannabis infractions, from simple possession to cultivation for personal use.
This announcement, made at the UN is response to pressure from Moms and Dads of kids with drug issues, is meant to pacify the demand and placate those applying pressure for change. Nothing more.
It is not a serious commitment.

you pull a gun on a cop and tell him to hand over his herb

The law is the law until it is formally changed so there are going to be a lost of amnesties when it comes into effect

Trudeau can`t just tell police forces not to enforce a law So some backward right wing communites are still charging people Especially communities who have the RCMP as their police

I personally know several folks who have been arrested in the past year for pot possession in the Vancouver area, or at least had their cannabis confiscated. There has also been a series of raids all up and down the south coast and on the island, some of them on legitimately licensed dispensaries and medical grows.
As for the RCMP, they are directed by Ottawa. While some communities do have a say, Ottawa could change it by decriminalizing, and they simply are not doing that.

It's the RCMP who are behind these raids and they are on record with their disapproval of legalized pot

Once pot is legalized they will have to lay off The RCMP are pigs so I'm not surprised that they are the ones behind pot dispensary closures in Nanaimo too

My point in replying was that the OP seems to be just an opportunity to claim that Trudeau doesn't live up to his election promises and is some kind of stealth Tory

Not sure what you mean by claiming the RCMP are behind the raids. They don't act alone.

that they viewed this as a directive from the Canadian government

As for the RCMP they are a law unto themselves in the communities that have chosen or been assigned them as their police force. They are a military force. That is how they were formed and that is how they are structured today They are a state police organization

They are the only cops on native reserves and are universally hated there for good reason

They were even more political back in the days before they lost responsibility for national intelligence because of unauthorized domestic spying. Recall also how brutal they were during th Pope's visit and the G7 summit Locally they are still the municipal police entity for Richmond and several other municipalities in the GVRD and the valley IIRC

I personally don't like them or trust them and they are on record as apposing legalization

As for Trudeau I am not one to jump on the Prime Minister Shorty Pants wagon until the marijuana legalization legislation is debated and passed

They are masters of propaganda, always short on details, and at the end of the day citizens end up getting the short end of the stick. Can't believe we fall for it all the time.

Trudeau has been in power for six months.

medical marijuana. This has to be one of the most heartless positions. Deny people something that can alleviate their suffering and why? Because she is in the pocket of Big Pharma.

Canada is not cheap. Retiring here is possible if you have an above average pension plan that allows you to move out of country. Otherwise you are better off looking south.
BTW: With exception of the lower mainland and islands of the south west area of British Columbia, Canada is a cold place for four to six months of the year, sometimes longer. Heating bills are huge, and so are public services of all sorts.

eom

And, this shows why states rights in America are so important. They spread.

From just a dollars-and-cents POV, the numbers are surprisingly low, though. According to Cdn. govt. figures, the societal cost of illicit drugs $1.5 billion dollars annually. ($51B in the US on enforcement alone)

However, even that comparatively modest $1.5B shrinks in importance when compared to the societal costs associated with tobacco and alcohol - $17.1 billion.

And on a different tack, at least the user gets something out of smoking pot, whatever their motivation. All a tobacco user gets is broke, smelly and dead.