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Copyright of Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In July 2003, in an article published in the Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice , Fischer, Ala-Leppilampi, Single, and Robins wondered whether Canada's long “saga of promise, hesitation, and retreat” in cannabis law reform was coming to an end, after 30 years of inertia. Their optimism was rooted in the federal government's apparent determination to decriminalize cannabis possession and in an existing socio-political context favourable to reform. Indeed, the government had recently tabled legislation that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis, making it a ticketable offence. However, this bill died before it could be passed into law. Two later versions of this legislation also failed to pass through the House of Commons. This paper picks up where Fischer et al. (2003) left off, by updating and reviewing developments in Canadian cannabis policy between 2003 and 2008. It reviews the provisions proposed by Bill C-38 and its successors, tracing the bills’ movements through Parliament and then delineates the positions of key interest groups regarding the decriminalization of minor cannabis possession. It concludes by reflecting on the contemporary period to show that Canada's “saga of promise, hesitation, and retreat” in cannabis law reform continues unabated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cannabis use and driving (CUD) is a growing public health concern. This study's main objective was to identify distinguishing characteristics associated with high-frequency CUD (HFCUD) activity (i.e., CUD &nvgt; 12 times) in a multi-site sample of university students who had self-identified as having driven a car within 4 hours of cannabis use in the past year. Participants for the study (n = 248; age 18-28 years) were recruited by mass advertising at five universities in Ontario. Participants were screened for eligibility and assessed by an anonymous interview between April 2005 and March 2006. Bivariate analyses determined factors associated with HFCUD (i.e., &nvgt; 12 times) vs. a low frequency of CUD (LFCUD); significant factors were subsequently entered into a discriminant function analysis model. HFCUD was associated with several variables, including frequent (i.e., at least weekly) cannabis use; daily driving; perception of own ability to drive not being impaired by cannabis use; and expectation of CUD in the next 12 months (all p < 0.0001). CUD among young drivers is an important health and safety risk requiring effective interventions. Given the strong association of HFCUD with frequent cannabis use, these phenomena need to be addressed conjointly. Furthermore, preventive interventions responsive to the specific socio-cultural contexts of possible CUD need to be developed and implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]