POT LAW PITFALLS SEEN

With regard to the decriminalization of possession of a small amount of
marijuana proposed for Canada, two important observations must be made.

The first is one that B.C. solicitor general Rich Coleman approached in his
press comments, but did not quite reach: that decriminalization may result
in putting more people in jail.

That happened in California and several other states in the U.S. that have
enacted decriminalization. While previously police used considerable
discretion and very often just issued a formal caution, now, in California,
almost all cases result in fines being imposed. But a very large percentage
of these fines are not getting paid, eventually resulting in larger numbers
of people being taken into custody for non-payment of fines, than
previously for possession.

The second observation that needs to be made is that the imposition of
fines will make it much easier for well-off persons and their children to
smoke marijuana than for the poor and down-and-out. Not very democratic or
social.

Axel Brock-Miller, Langford