MARIJUANA TALK

Dear Editor:

Raising an alarm over a lack of cannabis possession laws, police inspector
David Van Loosen warned, "You could be toking away in the park, a high
school student smoking a joint in the classroom, or worse, you could smoke
a joint while driving, and there is nothing we can do about it." ("Police
say hands tied on pot laws", June 22 edition). As the police are quick to
remind us, they seldom enforce simple possession laws -- less than one
charge per officer per year. Less than half of those caught in possession
are charged and over 90 per cent of charges are incidental to the
investigation and prosecution of more serious crimes.

Cannabis is not as impairing as alcohol. A single glass of wine, which for
most drivers would be under the legal limit, causes more impairment than an
entire cannabis cigarette. Further, when cannabis use goes up, alcohol and
other drug use goes down, resulting in a net decrease in crime and traffic
accidents.

As a recent Senate report explained, it is illegal to operate a vehicle
while impaired by anything, including perfectly legal but difficult to
detect cold remedies, tranquilizers and sedatives. Fortunately, officers
trained in impairment recognition can detect impairment over 90 per cent of
the time. Lacking an actual traffic law violation, police still have the
authority to issue roadside suspensions on probable grounds or for refusing
to be tested.

Inspector Van Loosen did not say how many high school students were
arrested last year for smoking cannabis in class or what criminal sanctions
were handed down, but in my day, having a pack of matches got you a
detention and/or a brow-beating from the principal. A student caught
chewing gum was forced to share with the entire class, including the
teacher, or stick it on their nose.

Matthew M. Elrod, Victoria, B.C.