ALL OR NOTHING WITH MARIJUANA LAWS

I write in response to the recent tragic murders of the young RCMP officers
in Alberta. Were their deaths meaningless?

A current article in a national magazine debates whether the Canadian drug
laws are adequate, whether the courts deal harshly enough with offenders
and the need to hire more police to enforce the laws?

Much of the controversy surrounds the marijuana growing operations and the
fear that if the penalties are too severe the grow-ops will be driven
underground and will be taken over by organized crime.

If we are worried about organized crime taking over the growing operations,
there's a solution. Organized crime normally ties itself to anything where
it can make a large profit. If the law was applied, as it could be, seize
and forfeit, to the Crown, all cash, property, residences, vehicles and
equipment where grow-ops exist. If on conviction the bank accounts of the
convicted felons were seized and forfeited, the profit aspect would be
removed. No longer would it seem so attractive to the crooks.

We don't seem to be able to make our minds up whether marijuana possession,
distributing and growing is serious enough to be considered a criminal
offence and if it is what punishment should accompany a conviction.

Until the politicians and the courts come to a firm consensus and get their
acts together, a great many police officers will be left in limbo, knowing
that they may be risking their lives as they did in Alberta, for
convictions that bear about the same level of penalty as a conviction for a
traffic offence.

If it could be unanimously decided that marijuana is bad stuff, then go
after the users, distributors and producers without fear or favour to the
full extent of the law. If that decision cannot be made then decriminalize
it.

Let's put a little meaning into the cop's efforts.

Joseph Lederman

Plattsville