MP LASHES JUDGE ON POT REMARKS

VANCOUVER -- A Canadian Alliance MP had harsh words yesterday for a B.C.
Appeal Court judge who wrote in a recent ruling she no longer thinks
marijuana offences are serious crimes. In the ruling issued Friday, Justice
Mary Southin wrote she has handled "over 40 cases which had something to do
with this substance, which appears to be of no greater danger to society
than alcohol."

But Randy White, police issues critic for the Canadian Alliance, said that
statement flies in the face of what he learned while serving as
vice-chairperson of a committee on non-medical drug use.

"I spent 18 months looking at this issue from Parliament's point of view,"
said White.

"The fact is medical associations will tell you marijuana has some serious
consequences to its use. Also, marijuana has some medicinal use.

"But far be it for a judge to make those decisions."

Southin's comments were included in a B.C. Appeal Court ruling that found
Vancouver police officers violated basic rights when they used a battering
ram to break down the door of a suspected marijuana grow operation without
first knocking.

A three-judge panel, including Southin, unanimously found the breach of a
couple's rights was so serious the evidence obtained during the 1999 raid
should be excluded from the case against Bradley Cecil Schedel and his wife,
Kuestan Hassen Schedel.

Southin agreed with the judge writing the decision on the raid but decided
to include her thoughts on marijuana and its criminal consequences. That
decision resulted in their being acquitted of operating a marijuana grow
operation. In her reasons, Southin wrote that although she once accepted
"the received wisdom that marijuana offences were serious crimes," she now
has a different opinion.