IT'S NOT A CRIME

Canadian Alliance MP Keith Martin has done Canadians a favour with his
private member's bill to decriminalize simple possession of small amounts
of marijuana. The bill, debated yesterday in the House of Commons, would
replace a criminal conviction with a maximum fine of $200 for a first offence.

Even though support for such a move is at an all-time high among Canadians,
with 65 per cent in favour of decriminalization, Jean Chretien said this
spring he remains opposed. While applauding renewed public debate on the
issue, the prime minister said federal policy would remain unchanged.

Mr. Martin's bill has provided an opportunity to revisit a piece of
legislation that has done little to stop marijuana use and much to harm the
more than 600,000 Canadians who have criminal records for marijuana
offences. He is not advocating legalization of marijuana, an important
distinction. Mr. Martin's bill acknowledges the need to keep marijuana as a
controlled substance given its health risks, which include negative effects
on the respiratory system, physical co-ordination, fetal development and
memory.

Meanwhile, the number of those convicted for possession grows every year.
According to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, police forces
arrested 45,000 Canadians for simple marijuana possession in 2000, with 85
per cent of them under the age of 25.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police supports decriminalizing small
amounts for personal use. Its members would prefer that officers have the
option of ticketing first-time offenders caught with 30 grams or less. This
is a humane approach to law enforcement, particularly when many of the
country's legislators have admitted to using marijuana in the past.

Decriminalization doesn't imply a lack of concern about marijuana use.
Marijuana should remain a banned, difficult-to-access substance.
Trafficking should continue to be sanctioned by stiff penalties. But the
young person with a few grams of pot in his pocket shouldn't have to pay
for the rest of his life for what most Canadians see as a peccadillo.