NRP SLAMS NEW POT BILL

Proposed Legislation Boon To Grow Operations: Chief

Local News - A federal plan to decriminalize simple marijuana possession
will lead to more grow houses in Niagara and higher pot usage among local
youth, Niagara's police chief said Tuesday.

Under legislation introduced by Justice Minister Martin Cauchon May 28,
possession of up to 15 grams of pot would be a minor offence that carries a
fine, but no criminal record.

The legislation also proposes stricter penalties for large-scale grow
operations.

Chief Gary Nicholls said the new bill puts political expediency ahead of
safety where possession laws are concerned.

"It's my sense there seems to be political motivation to move forward
fairly quickly with this legislation," said Nicholls.

"They have to allow the necessary support legislation to catch up to the
bill as it is currently presented."

Nicholls outlined several concerns Niagara Regional Police have with the
bill as it now stands.

One of these is the effect on schools.

"We expect to see fairly significant issues in schools as a result of
this," he said. "Our experience suggests young men and women who are prone
to using this drug will continue to do so ... and the impact will increase
dramatically."

Nicholls added that more lenient possession laws will "undoubtedly serve to
drive larger grow operations or perhaps even spawn greater numbers of
smaller grow operations."

This in turn would strain the police ability to deal with the organized
crime groups that maintain control over pot supply -- especially back and
forth across Niagara's four border crossings, he said.

The new legislation also makes enforcement difficult. Nicholls said the
bill takes a "casual" approach to life-and-death issues, such as
drug-impaired driving.

Currently, there is no reliable road-side test for "pot impairment."
Nicholls said the government should delay decriminalization until police
forces have appropriate "screening technology" to enforce drug offences for
impaired drivers.

Police across the country also take issue with the suggestion of fines for
possession. An automatic fine for possession of under 15 grams of pot
prevents officers from using discretionary powers "in situations that
demand more serious intervention," said Nicholls. These situations include
repeat offenders who need treatment or traffickers who deal exclusively in
small amounts of the drug.

Cauchon has said the government will consult more extensively with the
nation's police forces before changes are made to Canada's pot laws.