SHOULD WE 'TREAT POT LIKE TOBACCO?' SENATORS ASK

OTTAWA - Suggesting there may be solid reasons to decriminalize marijuana,
a Senate committee released its preliminary review of existing policy
Thursday and said it plans to hold public hearings.

The "discussion paper" comes after more than a year of looking at cannabis,
and is intended to spark debate over possible changes to the law.

Although the committee is not scheduled to deliver its final report,
Focusing on Cannabis, until August, "preliminary conclusions are becoming
more apparent to us," Senator Pierre Claude Nolin said Thursday.

For instance, scientific evidence suggests marijuana is "not a gateway" to
harder drugs, like cocaine, heroin and other more addictive substances,
Nolin said.

"It may be appropriate to treat it more like alcohol or tobacco than like
the harder drugs," according to Nolin. "We now need to add the views of
Canadians to expert testimony and evidence we've received to date to see
where we should go from here."

In Thursday's paper, the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs included
a summary of opinions from experts in many fields, including pharmacology
and psychology:

*Cannabis is a psycho-active substance so it's "better" not to use it

*Fewer than 10 per cent of users become addicted

*Use among young people has increased in recent years

*Although cannabis can be unhealthy, the effects are "relatively benign"

*Very limited direct effect on public safety, although sales may fuel
organized crime

*Impaired driving concerns not firmly established

*A lot of public money is spent on law enforcement, even though public
policies don't seem to discourage use of drug

The committee said it intends to look at everything from ethics to
medicare. Some of the key questions include:

What should the role of science be in forming public policy on illegal drugs?

What should the role of the state be in educating people and preventing abuse?

Should criminal law be limited to cases involving "demonstrable and
significant harm" to others?

Senators plan to hold six hearings across the country over the next two
months, beginning in Regina on May 13. Public meetings are also scheduled
in Richmond, B.C., Montreal, Mount Pearl, Nfld., Moncton, N.B. and Windsor, Ont.