GILCHRIST DECRIES PROPOSED CHANGES TO MARIJUANA LAWS

Proposed federal government changes to the Criminal Code for
possession of marijuana are giving mixed messages to young people
about drug use, says Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board trustee
Gord Gilchrist.

"It's precisely the wrong signal," he said in an interview yesterday.
"And it's not just to youth, but to anyone ."

The school system already has "so many problems with discipline now"
that the board would not support relaxing any of the applicable rules,
he continued.

Possession currently carries an automatic school suspension, while
trafficking results in expulsion, he added.

But Northumberland MP Paul Macklin, parliamentary secretary to Justice
Minister Irwin Cotler, says the new law is designed to have just the
opposite effect.

The legislative changes are to ensure sanctions are applied equally
everywhere for possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana, where under
the current system some people are getting off lightly because police
deem the sanctions to harsh for getting caught with small amounts.
Currently in some areas, such as Toronto, police are turning a blind
eye to the possession of small amounts of marijuana and no penalties
are levied, Mr. Macklin said.

Under Bill C-17, introduced into the House of Commons earlier this
week, police are to ticket anyone in possession of up to 15 grams of
marijuana. The fine is $100 for a youth and $150 for an adult.

For possession of 15 to 30 grams police will either issue a ticket or
pursue a summary conviction through the courts which can still end up
giving the person a criminal record, Mr. Macklin said.

The ticketed fine for possession of 15 to 30 grams of marijuana is
$200 for a youth and $300 or an adult while a summary conviction
carries with it up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or a
combination of the two.

Possession of marijuana is "still a crime and it's still illegal,"
stressed Mr. Macklin.

He says he objects to the legislation being characterized as
"decriminalizing" marijuana use.

"I think once people find out it's adding penalties (for possessing
small amounts) it's quite an improvement to most people finding
there are no penalties."

As part of the federal government's overall strategy it is continuing
its national drug strategy. In addition, it wants to educate police
officers and increase penalties for drug-impaired drivers, Mr. Macklin
added.

Instead of just demanding a breath sample in a suspected case, police
will be able to make a demand for urine or blood. Almost $7-million
would be dedicated to training police to become "drug recognition
experts," he said.