POLICE: NO POLICY ON POT

For years, the word on the street has been that police in British
Columbia don't bother to arrest or prosecute anyone for possessing
small amounts of marijuana. The conventional wisdom said that while
pot wasn't officially legal, in effect, it might as well have been.

That's what Jon Lipton thought, and why he was so surprised in
February when he was busted with less than a gram--barely enough to
role one decent fatty--of the plant. "It's just a shock to me," says
the 36-year-old, who has had five court appearances on the charge
already, with a trial set for October 15.

Marijuana use should be a personal choice for responsible adults, he
says, and he can't believe the time and money that police and crown
prosecutors have put into putting together a case against him. "There
are so many people involved in my little case, it's a crime that so
much taxpayers' money has been wasted on this."

Victoria police sergeant Todd Wellman says, "Typically, members have
been using their discretion . . . I think police have been reflecting
the general public's view around possession of small amounts. It's not
a blanket coverage that you can carry around small amounts of
marijuana and police won't charge you. It's not a blanket policy.
There is no policy."