Liberal party leader admitted to recreational pot use, and legalization may become a part of the Liberal Party platform.

Federal Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau has made legalizing marijuana one of his policies as he tests the waters ahead of a titanic federal election against incumbent Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The topic of legalization has surfaced repeatedly over the years from what would seem to be unlikely sources like former Supreme Court Judge Louise Arbor through the Global Commission on Drug Policy. While legalization would be incongruous with Harper's platform, it has become a defining policy in the formative stages of Trudeau's 2015 election bid.

Canada has long been known for its leniency when it comes to marijuana use and possession. For proof of this, look no further than the lack of backlash over the leaders of the federal Liberal and NDP parties, Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair respectively, admitting to recreational marijuana use in interviews with Huffington Post Canada. In fact, there was more controversy about Trudeau's shocking confession that he's not a coffee drinker than about his admission of smoking pot.

If you have any doubts about the blasé attitude law enforcement has about pot, just go to Parliament Hill on April 20 at 4:20 p.m. Thousands of people converge on the sprawling lawns to openly smoke up under the gaze of police who are there to address concerns about minors and trafficking but mostly to help partakers navigate the traffic lights crossing Rideau Street.

Vancouver has played host to such a proliferation of grow-ops that “B.C. Bud” is much sought after by cannabis connoisseurs across North America. Maybe it's because of his extensive dealings with low-level dealers and minor possession charges that Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu is one of the top advocates for dropping the criminal charge for minor possession in favour of handing out tickets instead.

Along with two federal party leaders, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter, have also admitted to smoking pot. Even Stephen Harper's finance minister, Jim Flaherty, has come clean about trying it, so bring on the quips about his pipe dream of ending the federal deficit by 2015.

The crux of the legalization issue is the shortage of actual opponents to the policy. When several of the most prominent politicians in the country admit to using or having used it, the question is, why are we forcing the sale and distribution underground? The chief argument made in favour of legalization is that the government could control the distribution, and profit from the taxation of marijuana in much the same way as they do with alcohol. The existing legislation is a drag on law enforcement officers who are tasked with pursuing those suspected of possession and are then obligated to perform hours of paperwork for a relatively minor offence.

There's little doubt that history will show the Conservative party was on the losing side of the legalization debate and that could become obvious in as soon as two years when the next federal election comes around.
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