UN DRUG REPORT DOESN'T SPARK WORRY

Drug policy experts say they're not concerned about a new United
Nations report that says more Canadians smoked dope last year than
people in any other developed country in the world.

The UN's 2007 World Drug Report found 16.8% of Canadians between the
ages of 15 and 64 tried pot at least once in 2006.

That's four times more than the global average of 3.8%. It compares
to an average 10.7% in North America and 5.6% in Europe, the report
by the UN office on drugs and crime said.

EXAMINE PATTERNS

Benedikt Fischer, a drug policy expert with the University of
Victoria, said the UN report doesn't examine patterns of use. He says
Canadians shouldn't be concerned about casual drug use, but rather
drug abuse and its social effects.

York University law professor Alan Young says the high number is
likely because Canadians are more willing to report their drug use
than people in other countries. Activists see the UN report as more
evidence that marijuana should be legalized.

"This shows people are more open about it. They don't see anything
wrong with it," said Robin Ellins, whose Toronto shop sells cannabis
lollipops and T-shirts made of hemp.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world with 160
million people using it at least once in 2005, the UN report said.

Papua New Guinea topped the marijuana list with 29.5% of the
population using it.