COURT METES OUT DISCHARGES, FINE TO POT SMOKING DRIVERS

A pot-smoking driver was one of marijuana-related cases dealt with in
Sarnia court Monday.

It's always a concern to hear the substance is being used in
conjunction with operating a vehicle, said Justice Deborah Austin, as
she sentence one of four young men who pleaded guilty to possession
of marijuana.

Three were given discharges conditional on completion of 12 months of
probation and 16 hours of community service.

Two of the men were together in a vehicle that was stopped Dec. 27 at
a RIDE checkpoint in Plympton-Wyoming. An officer smelled burnt
marijuana and when questioned, a marijuana cigarette was surrendered.

Subsequent searches found each young man had a bag with a small
amount of marijuana.

A third young man was stopped Dec. 18 in Lambton Shores after
dropping off his girlfriend. Three marijuana butts were found in the
ashtray after an officer smelled marijuana. A small bag of marijuana was found.

Court was told he used the drug to control attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder. His vehicle was stopped after police saw it
drive on the shoulder of the road for a short distance.

None of the three had a criminal record.

It is the policy of The Observer not to identify people given
discharges that will prevent them from having a criminal record.

A fourth young man, Scott Vandellen, 19, of Sarnia was fined $250 for
possession of marijuana and $300 for violation of a court order not
to have drugs in his possession.

He was stopped Dec. 14 at a RIDE checkpoint in Point Edward with a
burnt marijuana odour in the vehicle. A marijuana butt and a small
bag of marijuana were found.

Vandellen was also placed on probation for 12 months with the
condition he not possess drugs.

Under the Criminal Code it is an offence to drive while impaired by
alcohol or a drug. Unlike alcohol, there is no legal limit on the
amount of a drug a person can have in their system while driving.