WATCH ABOVE: Trudeau says hi biggest reason to change marijuana laws is protecting children
TORONTO –Joy Davies, the Liberal candidate in South Surrey-White Rock, has resigned over comments she made on Facebook crediting marijuana use with a reduction in domestic violence.
The Liberal Party announced her resignation Thursday afternoon shortly after leader Justin Trudeau, who has faced criticism from the Conservatives for his plan to decriminalize marijuana, said Davies’s statements don’t reflect party policy.
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“The views expressed by the individual in question do not reflect the views of the Liberal Party of Canada and certainly not reflect my personal views,” Trudeau told reporters.
“The Liberal party took the position we have to control and regulate marijuana primarily for one reason — Mr. Harper’s current approach is not protecting our children.”
In her own statement posted to Facebook, Davies said she was resigning because she didn’t want her personal comments to come as a distraction during the federal election campaign.
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“I believe in the work that the Liberal team is doing and my personal opinion and past comments should not distract from what is most important right now – ensuring all Canadians receive the real change and new leadership they deserve,” Davies wrote.
In 2013, Joy Davies shared links on her public Facebook suggesting marijuana was linked to lower levels of domestic violence and has been used to cure some cancers. In one she linked to a study and wrote “in a nutshell, more pot = less domestic violence in married couples.”
Trudeau said Thursday that Liberal policy would be to regulate marijuana, because right now it is controlled by the black market and in the hands of organized criminals and street gangs.
Davies resignation comes after another Liberal candidate apologized Thursday for offensive tweets that used profane language and derogatory references to women.
Alberta candidate Christopher Brown issued a written apology saying that he dependent on alcohol after his partner died in a car crash with a drunk driver in 2009.
“This emotional anguish led to an alcohol dependency problem and a complete lack of judgement when posting on social media,” Brown said.
Davies joins a long-list of candidates from all parties whose missteps on social media have led to resignations and grabbed headlines during the election campaign.
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