PEACE OFFICER FINDS PEACE

It wasn't hard, spotting David Malmo-Levine in the Ethiopian restaurant we'd
agreed to meet in. Bright green hair sets one apart, even in Vancouver's
downtown east side.

A notorious APEC and marijuana activist, and civil disobedient-at-large,
David Malmo-Levine has been an outspoken opponent of mine for years.

I haven't been above poking back. The last time I wrote about David, I
described how the man's lips continued moving as I powered a police
cruiser's window up to cut off his nonsensical rant, and drove on.

It struck me as quality humour at the time, but a chance meeting in
Grandview Park recently led me to re-evaluate my take on DML. We were able
to speak congenially enough I suggested we meet to see just how much we
could agree on.

David arrived prepared, with a list of declarations.

"The ultimate authority over an individual's health and lifestyle choices is
the individual" topped his list, and led me to disappoint him right out of
the gate. I couldn't get past one person's indulgence causing harm to
others.

I offered a compromise: The "preferred" authority over lifestyle should be
the individual, until the welfare of another becomes an issue.

We were able to settle on that, but tripped right into another tangle:
David's assertion that "Prohibition laws do not reduce use or abuse rates."

Laws certainly haven't eliminated drug use, but they must have some effect.
Every kilo confiscated is 2.2 pounds that won't be snorted, smoked, or
injected between anyone's toes. And there must be kids out there who stay
away from drugs simply to avoid being busted.

DML's next: "Cannabis, when used properly, is less risky than caffeine, when
used properly" was a little closer to home. I have first-hand knowledge of
caffeine as an addiction, and its reputed health effects: Ulcers, risk of
cancer, heart attack and stroke, may indeed rival those of cannabis.

Of course, they're associated with extreme intake, while any level of pot
use requires the inhalation of blazing smoke-clearly assaulting ones lungs.

Wrong again, insists Malmo-Levine. Pot can be eaten, taken as tea or inhaled
through smokeless vaporizers -- none of which sacrifice the breathing
organs.

Point taken, and fair enough, though as I see it, a cup of java sets one up
for the drive to work a little more realistically than a joint of B.C.'s
world-beating hydroponic bud.

I asked David how happy he'd be about police officers smoking pot on duty --
were the substance to become legal.

A narrow-minded fellow this man is not. He's actually willing to tolerate
marijuana use by on-duty police, though not abuse. Officers would have to
explore their individual abilities to function under the influence of
cannabis, and govern themselves accordingly.

That wasn't all that had me biting my tongue: Police should target violence,
pollution and the like, he said, but protect harmless drug users. Also: If
we don't protect lifestyle choices with the charter, we invite
witch-hunting, expropriation, and "final solutions."

Even so, David made more interesting remarks than I'd usually hear in a
week.

"In wise hands, poison is medicine -- in foolish hands medicine is poison"
caught me smiling, as did: "The partying in the streets when marijuana
becomes legal will be peaceful -- nothing like the Stanley Cup riot."

Asked if we could smoke a reefer together once the law was changed, I
disappointed him again. The way I crave morning coffee makes me a poor
gamble for anything more intoxicating than caffeine.

I'm still not ready to support legalization of marijuana, but I will say
this: If Malmo-Levine and crew do pull this off, I'll breathe a sigh of
relief. It would be nice for the police to be done wrangling with them.

So, peace, dude -- whether or not this drug truly offers it. Keep that civil
disobedience civil, and we'll see you on the next go-round.

Const. Mark Tonner is a Vancouver police officer. His opinions do not
necessarily reflect those of the city's police department or police board.
Tonner may be contacted at The Province, or by e-mail at marcuspt@msn.com