Poll: Older Canadians support legal pot

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Two-thirds of Canadian adults favor legalizing marijuana, a survey published Wednesday indicated.

The Forum Research telephone poll of 1,160 people conducted last month found 66 percent of respondents favored government control of marijuana, similar to alcohol and tobacco, the Vancouver Sun reported.

The results follow a similar vote by the Liberal Party at its weekend convention in Ottawa, in which 77 percent voted to seek legalization of cannabis. The motion was to "legalize marijuana and ensure the regulation and taxation of its production, distribution and use, while enacting strict penalties for illegal trafficking, illegal importation and exportation, and impaired driving."

However, the Liberals only have 35 of 308 seats in a Parliament dominated by Conservatives who have said they have no interest in debating marijuana laws.

The legalization debate isn't new -- a federal commission led by a Conservative recommended it 10 years ago and another commission 40 years ago said the same, the Sun said.

The Forum poll had a 2.9 percentage-point margin of error, the report said.