BOARDS HANG TOUGH ON ZERO DRUG TOLERANCE

Drug Possession Could Mean 20-Day Suspension

CLARINGTON - A relaxation of the rules on marijuana by the legal system
doesn't mean students will be smoking up in the halls of schools, say the
two local school boards.

Both the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic and
the Kawartha Pine Ridge district school boards say punishment for those
caught possessing or using marijuana on school property, trips or buses
will be as severe as ever. That's in spite of the fact Durham Regional
Police have said they would not arrest anyone in possession of less than 30
grams of cannabis, nor would they seize the drugs.

The police move comes on the heals of recent court rulings which declared
Canada's cannabis laws are no longer valid, and the introduction of federal
legislation that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of the
drug.

But local schools won't be following the police lead. In fact, PVNC has
gone so far as to successfully lobby the provincial Catholic trustees'
association to not only support retaining the strict rules, but to attempt
to influence the federal government against decriminalisation of the drug,
says education director Mike Langlois.

But regardless of what the legal system does, marijuana is not acceptable
in local Catholic schools, says Mr. Langlois.

"We take use and trafficking very seriously," he notes.

Students caught in possession of any form of illicit drug face a 20-day
suspension, he says.

Likewise, local public schools will be enforcing a no-marijuana policy,
says KPR education director Avis Glaze.

"Even though out there (outside of schools), there are differences... as a
school district, we will maintain a very strong stance that marijuana will
be prohibited in our schools," says Dr. Glaze.

At KPR, students face suspension for possession of such drugs and expulsion
for trafficking.

"We want to make sure our schools continue to be safe havens for all our
students and having drugs out of our schools is part of that," she notes.

- - files by Stephen Shaw