LIKE REST OF CANADA, MORE ALBERTANS GOING TO POT

EDMONTON - Albertans aren't quite as likely to light up a joint as
residents of British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia, but they're not
far behind. And they're less likely to be charged for doing it, a new
Statistics Canada report says.

The report, released Wednesday, measured the change in the number of
cannabis and other drug users in Canad from 1994 to 2002. According to
the report, 13 per cent of Albertans over the age of 15 said in 2002
they had used marijuana or hashish in the past year, up from nine per
cent in 1994. Sixteen per cent of residents of British Columbia, and
14 per cent of residents in Quebec and Nova Scotia had smoked dope.
The national average in 2002 was 12.2 per cent, up from 7.4 per cent
in 1994.

In 2002, more than 10 million Canadians said they had tried marijuana
or hashish at least once.

Despite the apparent upswing in pot usage, Prime Minister Paul Martin
said in Ottawa that his government remains committed to marijuana
decriminalization and will reintroduce legislation after Parliament
resumes in October.

And Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said that while he is concerned
about the reported rise in drug use, he's unsure arguments that
decriminalization would further increase marijuana use "have any validity."

"My view is that, if you make something illegal, some people are more
attracted to it," he said. "It's just the high in getting something in
a stealth(y) fashion ... . If you allow people to possess it in small
quantities for personal use, the allure kind of disappears for some
people."

While the issue of decriminalizing cannabis has been in the media
spotlight, the latest national figures don't reflect those discussions
because this survey was done in 2002, the year before an Ontario court
judge set a precedent by ruling that possessing a small amount of pot
was not illegal, and before Jean Chretien tried to ram through a
decriminalization bill prior to stepping down as prime minister.

The study also found Alberta was above the national average in the
number of people using five other drug types: cocaine and crack,
ecstasy, LSD and other hallucinogens, speed (amphetamines) and heroin.

However, only 163 cannabis-related drug offences per 100,000 people
were reported in Alberta in 2002 -- the third lowest number of any
province in the country. British Columbia had the highest rate of
cannabis-related offences, with 398 per 100,000. Most offences -- 72
per cent -- were for possession.

Det. Darren Derko, a member of the Green Team, a joint RCMP and
Edmonton police operation aimed at eradicating marijuana grow
operations, said the team is constantly swamped with cases. The six-
or eight-member team targets operations in Northern Alberta. It comes
across about 75 grow operations a year.

"(Grow operations are) getting a lot larger, a lot more
sophisticated," Derko said. "They're finding more ways of masking the
operation."

One of the largest marijuana grow operations found in Canada was
discovered in Camrose in July 2003, when police uncovered a pig barn
used to grow more than 10,000 plants, worth about $10 million.

Derko said one of the reasons drug use is growing may be that the
price of marijuana has dropped significantly.

"Two and a half years ago, a pound of marijuana used to sell for about
$3,000," he said. "Now we're hearing about a pound in B.C. going for
about $1,200 or $1,500."

Derko said many marijuana growers know the legal penalties they may
face if caught, but are willing to take the risk.

"It may be a result of penalties versus profit," the detective said.
"If you get caught, you may get a conditional sentence. If you don't,
you make a fortune."

Federal marijuana party leader Marc-Boris St-Maurice said the rising
number of drug users may be attributable to a growing response bias,
as toking up becomes more acceptable in Canada.

"As society grows more tolerant to marijuana use," St-Maurice said,
"people are more likely to be honest in their response."

St-Maurice said the results may even be slightly inflated, as some
younger respondents may say they used marijuana even if they haven't,
because they believe using the drug is cool.

St-Maurice said the report is proof current anti-marijuana legislation
doesn't work.

"To those who say we should keep marijuana illegal so people don't use
it, clearly this is evidence to the contrary. Those people may have
something to think about."

The Statistics Canada survey found men were more likely than women to
have tried illicit drugs. Teens aged 18 to 19 were the most likely to
have tried cannabis.

Tony Temprile, an addictions counsellor with the Alberta Alcohol and
Drug Abuse Commission, said a survey of children in Grades 7 to 12
conducted by the commission two years ago showed cannabis, alcohol and
tobacco were the three most widely used drugs.

"Obviously, any sort of addiction causes problems," Temprile said.
"Everything from kids not doing well in school to health concerns to
drugs leading to criminal activities."

Temprile's outpatient program, which deals mostly with youth and their
families, sees about 2,000 people a year.

Of the drugs other than cannabis mentioned in the report, cocaine and
crack were the most popular, with an estimated 321,000 Canadians
having tried one or both drugs.