YOUTH DEFEND LEGALIZED POT

Resolution Faces Growing Opposition After Mounties' Slaying

THE influential youth wing of the federal Liberal Party defended its push
for the legalization of marijuana yesterday, arguing against claims it'll
put police in more danger. The Alberta-born resolution, to be voted on
today at the Liberal policy convention in Ottawa, is facing a growing tide
of protest from opponents, who are urging the Grit youth contingent to pull
its support in light of Thursday's slaying of four Mounties at a marijuana
grow op north of Edmonton.

Young Liberal president Richard Diamond called on delegates to rein in
their emotions during today's debate on the resolution, which calls for the
feds to legalize marijuana.

"The debate is going to have to be very respectful, considering the
circumstances," Diamond said, referring to the Mounties' deaths.

"The recent events are going to have to be taken into consideration. I see
that the discussion is going to hopefully lead to a solution."

The resolution calls on the feds to take charge of selling pot and slap
"large taxes" on weed sales.

It also stipulates that tax revenue be used to educate young Canadians
against using drugs and to pay for addiction treatment.

'Serious Regulation'

"What we need to keep in mind is that prohibition didn't work for alcohol
and it's not working for marijuana," Diamond said.

"We need serious regulation on marijuana so that this kind of violence and
this kind of black market ... will cease."

Bryan West, a young Liberal vice-president from Alberta, insisted
legalizing pot would put an end to violence linked to drugs, noting it
would allow the feds to gain control of the quality and flow of marijuana.

"We're trying to prevent the proliferation of this drug that is extremely
common and extremely easy to use," West said. "You would take it out of the
hands of drug dealers and put it in the hands of government."

But Liberal MP Dan McTeague warned that a show of support for legalizing
marijuana would send the wrong message.

McTeague called for delegates to lend their support to another resolution,
from B.C., that advocates a minimum sentence of more than two years for
grow operators.

"Given the social concern and now the real political concern over the death
of these police officers ... I think we have to stay focused on marijuana
grow operations," McTeague said. "Those who are making the argument for
legalization have absolutely no understanding of the potency of the product
they're advocating, let alone who's manufacturing it."

Calgary delegate Brian Edy said legalizing pot is treading on dangerous
ground, but suspects the resolution will pass, given the large size of the
youth delegation attending the convention.