Should the use of cannabis be decriminalized or legalized? If so, how should it be legislated, and for whom? Although Western nations have sought to address these questions for decades, there has never been a thorough and comprehensive study of the subject. A special committee of the Canadian senate sought to rectify this, and when their report was made public, it astonished observers with its audacious recommendations.

Important scientific resources were used for the committee's purposes: the investigations of 23 international researchers based on 200 interviews; the work of Canadian specialists working in an array of disciplines; and a large number of discussion groups. The essential recommendations of the report are found in this book. The Senate committee proposes new perspectives on illicit drugs, calling for a rational new political view that does not marginalize users. With innovative scientific investigation and bold recommendations, this report, prefaced by Senator Nolin, is an indispensable tool in the national and international debate surrounding cannabis.