PUT MINIMUM SENTENCES INTO MARIJUANA LAW

A lot of us, like B. Dean, are fed up with grow-ops in our neighbourhoods.

But blaming the courts for minimal sentences is letting off our federal
elected officials. The current legislation does not require judges to
impose a minimum sentence for a grow-op conviction, so they don't.

If we as a society want to deal more effectively with grow-ops by having
tougher sentences, then we need to talk to our MPs to have the law changed.

The federal Liberals made a big deal of their proposed changes to the
marijuana law - Bill C-38 - by proposing to double maximum sentences for
grow-ops. Double nothing is still nothing.

Minimum sentences need to be in law to give the judges some parameters.
Talk to your Liberal nominees in the coming federal election. Bill C-38
died on the order paper. Paul Martin's new government will bring this back
to Parliament.

Make sure you let your MPs and nominees know how you feel to ensure it is a
local issue in the federal election. And especially talk to your local
municipal politicians aspiring to be Liberal MPs who are acutely aware of
how frustrated Surrey residents are.

Gerald Donkersgoed

Surrey