IGNORE U.S. WAR ON MARIJUANA, POLL SAYS

Ken MacQueen Vancouver Sun B.C. courts should ignore American pressure to
hand tougher sentences to the province's marijuana growers, says a poll
conducted for The Vancouver Sun.

While a substantial majority of Greater Vancouver respondents said marijuana
cultivation should remain a criminal offence, there is little interest in
joining America's war on soft drugs, said pollster Steve Bengtson, a partner
in Vancouver-based Viewpoints Research.

The survey of 400 adults in Greater Vancouver communities was conducted May
7-9, as B.C. police forces continued to raid record numbers of
marijuana-growing houses.

The survey also shows conditional support for shutting down such operations
- -- if police don't drain resources from combatting the sale of hard drugs.

Most respondents did not support U.S. drug enforcement officials, who want
B.C. courts to impose tough sentences on marijuana growers in an attempt to
cut the flow of pot south of the border. More than 56 per cent agreed that
B.C. courts should "ignore the Americans and hand out the sentences we think
are appropriate." Some 38 per cent said the courts should "listen to the
Americans and hand out tougher sentences." Bengtson said he expects there
are two reasons for the response: Canadians resent Americans telling them
what to do. As well, they're aware that the U.S. still has a serious drug
problem. "I think we're not that stupid," he said. "We recognize the fact
that they've not solved the drug problem with these big shows and tough
sentences. These are social problems." That said, more than eight in 10
respondents said growing marijuana for sale should be a criminal offence.
Notably, however, 55 per cent disagreed with the current law making
possession of marijuana for personal use a criminal offence.

In other words, Greater Vancouverites seem to support smoking pot, but are
opposed to those who profit from selling or growing it. Bengtson said the
cleavage in opinions is likely shaped by extensive media coverage of
suspected gang activity by some growers, and the damage caused to some
grower houses. "The grow operation is a different thing because what we have
here is a threat to public safety." They may also resent that growers escape
paying taxes on their illegal profits, he said. "We love the fairness
principle here." The police crackdown on grow houses received strong public
support -- but it appeared to be qualified.

More than 73 per cent of respondents agreed that "police should be doing
even more" to find and shut down grow operations. However, 64 per cent also
agreed that police were spending too much time and money arresting growers
- -- and "should instead concentrate on those who sell hard drugs such as
heroin and cocaine." The responses seem to mean, "if you have a limited
budget, spend your time on the hard drugs," said Bengtson. "It's not that
they think growing marijuana shouldn't be a criminal offence," he said, "but
put that in the light of our other problems and they prioritize heroin and
cocaine." Finally, four in 10 respondents 18 to 24 years old claimed to have
smoked marijuana in the past year. And some 12 per cent all of respondents
said they had, a figure virtually unchanged from a federal survey in 1994.
It found almost 12 per cent of British Columbians over age 15 had smoked pot
- -- the highest level of any Canadian province.

Bengtson found a few other demographic variables significant. People in
Surrey, White Rock and the Fraser Valley were prone to be much tougher on
growing operations. They were two to three times more likely than
Vancouverites to hold the opinion that growing marijuana for sale should be
a criminal offence, Bengtson noted. And, those with more money and education
tend to be more liberal towards the decriminalization of pot. "University
graduates were much stronger in holding the opinion that we should ignore
the American example on drug policies, compared to people with less
education," he added.

The Viewpoints survey is considered accurate to within five percentage
points, 19 times out of 20.

WHAT GREATER VANCOUVER RESIDENTS THINK ABOUT POT

1. Simple possession of marijuana for personal use should be a criminal
offence.

AGREE: 40.8% DISAGREE: 54.8%

2. Growing marijuana for sale should be a criminal offence.

AGREE: 81% DISAGREE: 16.5%

3. Police should put more resources into finding and shutting down
marijuana-growing operations in homes.

AGREE: 73.8% DISAGREE: 23.1%

4. Police spend too much time and public money arresting marijuana growers.
They should instead concentrate on those who sell hard drugs such as heroin
and cocaine.

AGREE: 64.3% DISAGREE: 28.6%

Based on telephone interviews with 400 Greater Vancouver area residents by
Viewpoints Research between May 7-9, 2000