Editorial --

DON'T LEGALIZE POT

Last week's Supreme Court ruling on pot possession means it's still an
illegal substance, and shows that there is some rational thought in Ottawa
after all.

In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld a federal law
prohibiting possession of small amounts of marijuana. And while so-called
pot crusaders were "bummed out", the decision puts the onus on the
government to decide which way Canada will head on the issue.

Critics charge that penalties for possession are out of whack with
constitutional guarantees of fundamental justice, but the high court ruling
states that the ban on possession of even small amounts of marijuana falls
within the constitution and does not violate the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. The ruling, however, says that it's up to Parliament if it wants
to decriminalize marijuana possession. And that puts the fate of pot
smokers squarely in the hands of the federal Liberals.

Despite former Prime Minister Jean Chretien's jokes about trying the drug
once it's decriminalized, one would hope his successor isn't going to be so
flippant about the issue. But, unfortunately, Prime Minister Paul Martin
has reportedly signaled that decriminalization could happen with a new bill
to be reintroduced next year. That would be a mistake.

Marijuana proponents say the legalization of the drug would break the ties
to organized crime, with guns and grow-ops disappearing as supermarket pot
(federally taxed, of course) pops up on shelves. With the government
getting their cut, they argue, there'll be nothing left for the underworld,
citing drops in crime rates in countries like Holland where marijuana has
been legalized.

It is true that public attitude has softened on pot use, but that's no
reason to make it legal. Pot is not the greatest problem in our
communities, but the decriminalization of the drug is nothing but a
short-term cop-out for lawmakers to wash their hands of what in many cases
is a relatively minor crime. We've made great strides in the last decade
bringing to light the dangers of cigarette smoking, so do we really want to
raise our children puffing on joints as they walk to school?

Existing laws are adequate. But more work needs to be done on the science
of addiction and the long-term effects of marijuana before anyone should
declare it safe and victimless.