LISTEN TO THE POLICE

Musing about the value of Canada's marijuana laws, Ottawa Police
Chief Vern White expressed a view that probably matches exactly the
feelings of most Canadians.

White is not prepared to say that marijuana is harmless, because it's
not. In particular, there is evidence that tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, can contribute to the
onset of schizophrenia. But White does not believe Canadians should
be saddled with criminal records for possessing the drug. More than
half of Canadians, according to a recent poll, agree that personal
use of marijuana should not be a criminal act.

When one of the most respected police chiefs in Canada, and a man who
might well be the next commissioner of the RCMP, makes such a
statement, government officials should pay attention. Especially when
that also reflects the views of a majority of Canadians. (In some
provinces -- British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario -- just about 60
per cent of residents support outright legalization of cannabis.)

White believes that his view about the wrongheadness of making
criminals of marijuana users is shared by other chiefs across the
country. That wouldn't be surprising. More than a decade ago, the
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police recommended that the federal
government decriminalize possession of marijuana and hashish. The
chiefs didn't go so far as argue for legalization, but they felt that
people caught with small amounts of the drugs shouldn't have to
suffer sanctions greater than a fine, to be handled outside of court.

The then-Liberal government drafted legislation that would have
decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis. That bill
eventually died when the 2006 election was called.

Decriminalizing marijuana possession may seem at odds with the
Stephen Harper government's much-touted tough-on-crime agenda, but it
is not. Police officials who have supported decriminalization in
recent years say it would allow more attention to be focused on
prevention and treatment of drug abuse.

The so-called "war on drugs" has never worked, as every criminologist
knows. Chief White himself once said that, when it comes to
addressing urban pathologies, municipalities sometimes would be
better off with more social workers on the street than police officers.

Again, it's important to note that White is not talking about
wholesale drug decriminalization, but decriminalization for small
amounts of marijuana -- he suggests 30 grams as a cutoff. This is
already happening in an unofficial way, with police officers
routinely opting to deal gently with users they stumble upon. As
White puts it, "most guys don't get charged with marijuana anyway."
Officers will instead just grind what's left of the joint into the
ground and maybe issue a warning.

Leaving a law on the books that front-line officers know is
counter-productive and obsolete, and which they inconsistently
enforce, creates confusion and unfairness. Some Canadians might even
be under the impression that possession of marijuana is no longer a
criminal offence in Canada.

It is, but that should change. If the Harper government is serious
about law and order in Canada, it should heed the advice of bona fide
law-and-order experts like Chief White.