The yearlong ongoing ‘Canada 150’ celebrations are shining a light of several unsavoury aspects of Canadian icons such as John A. MacDonald, and Edward Cornwallis – and the latest one is Emily Murphy.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently highlighted the contribution of historical icon Emily Murphy known as a pioneering feminist leader on the occasion of the Canadian History Week which has human rights as its theme this year.
He called Murphy and friends as “trailblazers for social justice” who had “defined the future of our country.”
While this aspect is true, PM Trudeau left out Murphy’s influence on Canada’s marijuana laws which are highly racist in nature.
A Feminist Pioneer But Also A Racist
Murphy was the first female judge within the British Empire and led a struggle for over a decade which finally resulted in Canadian women getting recognized legally in 1929 as persons.
Apart from this she is also acknowledged as a “pioneer in the war against narcotics,” and the author of the Janey Canuck books” by the popular historical short film series “Heritage Minutes”, which celebrates important Canadian milestones.
The film however failed to discuss her support for eugenics which helped clear Sexual Sterilization Act in 1928 in the province of Alberta. This allowed nearly 5,000 women with mental illness to be sterilised before its repeal in 1972.
Murphy’s Major Role in Formulation of Canada’s Drug Laws
Murphy carried out research on drug usage, which was first published as a series of articles in Maclean’s under a pen name Janey Canuck. The article series according to a book Crime and Deviance in Canada: Historical Perspectives was commissioned in order to encourage the public to demand stricter drug laws.
These articles formed the basis of her best selling book The Black Candle which also contained chapters like ‘Marahuana—A New Menace’. The book included her various conspiracy theories like the one in which she believed that “aliens of colour” were forming a drug syndicate named The Ring to “bring about the downfall of the white race.”
In her book she talked about how smoking opium causes “educated gentlewoman”, to
“consort with the lowest classes of yellow and black men.” Also that an addicted woman “doesn’t work for anyone but the negro who buys her for the price of opium where with to ‘hit the pipe.’”
She also depicted marijuana dealers as boasting that “the yellow race would rule the world” and how “the Negroes coming into Canada will ultimately control the white men.”
With Cannabis being virtually unknown in Canada then, it was easy for Murphy to talk of its dangers, calling it a poison causing “untimely death.”
The prevalent anti-Chinese feelings in Vancouver had already caused non-medical applications of opium being banned in 1908, with morphine and cocaine being banned in 1911. Murphy’s best-selling book added further to the national conversation on the dangers of cannabis.
As a result within a year of Black Candle’s publication Canada’s anti-drug law was passed. This made Canada the first western country to have such a policy, 14 years ahead of the US.
Impact Continues Today With Racial Discrimination In Drug Enforcement
Today consuming marijuana is legal in Canada but there is still impact of Murphy’s influence on drug laws.
Canada’s Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor announced recently that the government was seeking to understand if Canadians were open to allowing people with pot charges to enter the legal industry. She noted that over 5,00,0000 persons had minor drug offences on their records.
According to a Toronto Star report, black people having no criminal history may be three times more likely than white Caucasians to be arrested for possession. MP Bill Blair has also admitted earlier that there was disparity in the enforcement of drug related laws on minority communities.
With such a large proportion of the Canadian population potentially kept out of the legal industry due to convictions under a racially-tinged enforcement law, there are worries that current disparity will continue.
