COP, POTHEAD FIND COMMON GROUND

An Edmonton Police Service deputy chief and a local pot grower have
something in common.

They both agree decriminalizing pot may actually drive down the street
price and force street dealers out of business.

A local 20-year-old pot grower with a lengthy criminal record for
marijuana trafficking said he would stop selling pot if he could buy
it legally.

"There's always going to be independent dealers, but the price would
go down because it wouldn't be so risky anymore," said the man, who
cannot be named because he was convicted as a youth for pot
trafficking.

"And what would be the point if there's no money in
it?"

"There's a certain logic to that," agreed deputy chief Colin Vann
after hearing the dealer's opinion. "The price of any product, if it
can be legally obtained, is subject to competition ... and lower prices.

"The profit margin would be reduced and therefore so would the number
of participants in growing pot. I suppose it wouldn't be a great deal
different than making wine and brewing beer in the basement."

The comments come after the federal Liberal party passed a resolution
supporting the decriminalization of pot possession during a convention
on Sunday.

The local grower, who has seven plants worth about $3,000 flourishing
in his home, said it's about time.

"We're not hard-core criminals," he said. "The cops should be worrying
about the murderers. They should be thanking us for keeping the
population glued to the couch in front of their TVs with a bag of chips."

Vann didn't agree. "I'm not an advocate for decriminalizing it, but I
do believe the issue needs to be examined. The quality of marijuana
over the past number of years has increased in potency significantly,
so I think that whole issue has to be looked at again."

In Ottawa, Justice Minister and Edmonton MP Anne McLellan said
decriminalizing possession of small amounts of pot is not on the
government's legislative radar.

"I am not going to move on it any time soon," McLellan said after
giving a speech to the Canadian Police Association.

The police association wants the law to remain intact while the
Canadian Association of Police Chiefs says possessing 30 grams or less
of pot should not lead to a criminal record.

The chiefs argue dwindling police resources could be better spent on
other crimes instead of busting potheads.