TOO MANY POT BUSTS

Public attitudes about the use of marijuana have undergone a substantial
shift, to the point where personal use of the drug in small quantities is
seen as relatively harmless, and certainly not a criminal act requiring the
full force of the justice system.

The justice system doesn't reflect this, however, for the simple reason that
even the possession of a small amount of marijuana is still a crime. In
fact, according to a recent Statistics Canada study, criminal cases
involving marijuana possession have actually increased during the past
decade.

StatsCan said in a report released on Monday that the number of drug-related
incidents reported by the police has risen by 42 per cent since 1992 and now
stands at a 20-year high. The cannabis-related offence rate climbed by about
80 per cent in the period from 1992 to 2002, an increase that was largely
due to a rise in cases of marijuana possession. The number of trafficking
charges actually declined in that period.

In 2002, three-quarters of drug cases involved marijuana and more than 70
per cent of them involved possession. Of 93,000 incidents reported in that
year under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, about two-thirds
involved possession. The rest dealt with trafficking, importation and
production. The study also suggests that young adults feel the major brunt
of our marijuana laws. Those between the ages of 18 and 24 had the highest
drug-related offence rate in 2002 for incidents involving marijuana,
followed by those between the ages of 12 and 17.

Police forces are justifiably concerned about some of the negative effects
of the marijuana trade, such as the involvement of organized crime in
production and distribution of the drug, and some of the related criminal
behaviour that surrounds that activity. But surely that is what deserves to
feel the full brunt of criminal prosecution, and not the simple possession
of a few grams of marijuana.

Many marijuana decriminalization advocates have pointed out that fewer
dollars spent on cases of simple possession should mean more money to pursue
the real criminals, and would also mean fewer young adults being introduced
to the criminal justice system at a relatively innocent age.

Bill C-10, which is currently being debated in the House of Commons, would
make possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil offence rather than a
criminal one, subject to fines rather than prosecution. Trafficking and
production of large amounts would remain crimes. Parliament should pass the
bill and remove the gap between the justice system and the attitudes of the
public it serves.