COURT RULING ON DRUGS GOOD NEWS

They finally got one right. After months of debate and discussion the
Supreme Court of Canada must be commended

They finally got one right.

After months of debate and discussion the Supreme Court of Canada must be
commended for ruling that possession of marijuana should remain a criminal
offence until the government decides to change the law.

Their decision to uphold the law, announced just before the Christmas
holidays, was somewhat lost during the holiday hype.

Supreme Court lawyers were forced to make a ruling after three B.C. men
launched an appeal arguing it was unconstitutional to use the law to punish
a harmless activity. The court ruled 6-3 that making marijuana possession a
criminal offence does not violate Charter of Rights guarantees of liberty
and security of person.

Lawyers for the three B.C. men, all marijuana users, had argued that the
government has no right to tell people what they can put in their bodies.
But, the top court rejected that argument and agreed with lawyers for the
federal government who maintained the law should be upheld and that
Parliament should set drug policy for the country.

Now the onus falls on newly appointed Prime Minister Paul Martin and his
Liberal Party. Following the decision, Martin said the government would
reintroduce a marijuana bill that died in November when Parliament was
prorogued. The bill would decriminalize the activity, which means people
caught with small amounts would face fines rather than prison.

If that bill should pass - and by all accounts it will - then Martin and
the Liberals will have failed their first test. To slap people on the wrist
for breaking the law - drugs remain illegal in this country and proper
charges should be warranted - is a huge mistake.

Here's hoping the government gets their act together quickly and realizes
the far-reaching affects that any move towards decriminalization will have
in this country.