POT LAWS BACK ON THE AGENDA

How many people you know have used marijuana in the past year? Would
you consider them criminals?

The number is probably a lot higher than you think. Some five million
Canadians smoked marijuana in 2004, according to a United Nations
report on drug use around the world.

That's about one in six people.

With B.C. being known for its ?particular fondness for cannabis, the
ratio is probably higher here. Perhaps much higher.

So, perhaps one in five of the people you know between the ages of 15
and retirement has used marijuana in the past year.

You probably do not consider this ratio of your friends and associates
to be criminals.

Obviously they should not be considered criminals, or treated in the
same manner before the law as people who commit assaults, theft or
fraud.

But they are.

We hope that Senator Larry Campbell's call for decriminalization for
small amounts of marijuana once again gains traction.

He rightly points out that 600,000 Canadians who have been charged
with marijuana possession offences have criminal records, and have
difficulty travelling to the U.S. or crossing other international borders.

The Liberal government put forward a bill to decriminalize marijuana
in 2003. This came about after the Canadian Association of Chiefs of
Police recommended fines for simple possession, instead of Criminal
Code charges.

This move was vigorously opposed by the U.S. government, and was
ultimately killed by Stephen Harper's Conservative minority government
when it came to power.

Senator Campbell has once again put this issue on the public agenda.

Most Canadians believe that possessing and using small amounts of
marijuana is generally a victimless crime, and one that causes little
damage to society.

Indeed it is prohibition, which has created a massive black market and
underground economy, with guns and violence to protect profits, which
is causing more harm.