HOLY TOKES

Holy Tokes - oops, I meant holy smokes - Julian Fantino is the man of
vision we'd all hoped for when he became chief of police. Sure, we've all
heard the rhetoric about the decriminalizing of marijuana before from
biased lobby groups but to hear this from Chief Fantino takes my breath
away. Not because I'm a big pro-pot advocate, but because the chief
recognizes the obvious futility in the minute pot busts that clog our
courts and waste valuable police time on the streets.

What's truly encouraging is the fact that by coming out with his views on
this matter Fantino proves he's not afraid to rock the staunch conservative
boat in this city for its betterment. Those who will equate decriminalizing
small amounts of marijuana with the end of society as we know it, should
read beyond the headlines and will find that Chief Fantino's "contemporary
way" of dealing with this issue has all the bases covered.

Dan Kowbell

(Fantino's stand echoes the one taken by the Canadian Association of Chiefs
of Police)