Madam Speaker, I was impressed with the analogy that my colleague brought to the floor of the House. I do not have a Jesus story like that to convey, but I have participated in previous years in the justice committee. The justice committee deals with a lot of young people who often fall on the wrong side of the law. They will be brought before a justice committee where the matter can be dealt with, especially when the victim and the perpetrator come together to achieve a result that both sides agree is most appropriate.
This is an issue that is of great importance for me, in that in Winnipeg North there are very serious addiction issues. We can take walks with some of our non-profit groups who make excellent, wonderful efforts, such as the Bear Clan. I know that members of all political parties, either directly or indirectly, are familiar with the Bear Clan. Individual members of Parliament and others walk with them to get a sense of the degree of drug abuse, in particular the concentration and correlation of very strong abuse in that area of Winnipeg, a good portion of which I represent.
I am pleased when I hear that this is not as much a criminal matter as it is a social, economic and, in many ways, a mental issue. We need to look at ways that we can shift it over to the health area. I see that as a benefit and am very interested. Unlike my New Democratic friend who provided his thoughts on it, I applaud the member for the way he wants to get this subject matter before a standing committee. I appreciate what he is saying. I too would be very interested in hearing what other experts have to contribute to the debate.
When we passed the legislation for the legalization of cannabis, there was a great deal of concern regarding that and a lot of the concern has been addressed. I believe there is far less gang activity as a result, in terms of the selling of cannabis.