LOCAL POLITICIANS UNHAPPY WITH NEW MARIJUANA LAW

There isn't much local politicians like about Ottawa's new marijuana
laws.

On Tuesday, Ottawa delivered a bill that eliminates criminal penalties
for simple possession, while promising tougher penalties on growers.

Now possession of up to 15 grams of pot (about 15 to 20 joints) would
be punishable by a fine of up to $250 for youths and $450 for adults.
Fines were the better option, said federal Justice Minister Martin
Cauchon. Most people got off with a warning, leading to disrespect of
the law, he said in media reports this week.

Under the proposed legislation, maximum sentencing for growers will
increase to 14 years from seven.

Included in the bill is $245 million set aside for education,
information, research and treatment programs.

In media reports, B.C. Solicitor General Rich Coleman expressed
frustration and disappointed that more emphasis wasn't placed on law
enforcement to combat the overwhelming problem of pot grow ops in B.C.
homes.

Langley-Abbotsford MP Randy White wonders what kind of message does
this send to the youth of Canada who get a discount on fines if
they're younger.

"Why are those who are under 18 getting a discount on the price they
pay for breaking the law? On one hand, the Health Minister says
smoking pot is unhealthy yet the justice minister makes the fines for
marijuana 50 per cent less for youth," White said.

White supports responsible decriminalization of small amounts of
cannabis with a threshold of five grams, but not 15 grams. A recently
released report from the RCMP said "B.C. bud" is 10 times more potent
than it used to be in the 1960s.

The government's push to decriminalize marijuana is hasty, biased,
improperly informed and has downplayed the facts about pot, said the
Addictive Drug Information Council (ADIC), a Vancouver-based
association that educates youth about the danger of addictive drugs.

ADIC insists that research evidence does not suggest that marijuana is
safe. Use is known to damage the respiratory system and can impair
memory, cognitive abilities, attention and decision-making functions
and has been shown to contribute to poor school performance.

White wonders how teens' driving performances will be impacted if
they're driving under the influence of drugs.

"The message the government is sending is that you shouldn't drink and
drive, but you can toke and drive," said White.

Langley RCMP Cpl. Dale Carr said police do have methods to detect when
someone is driving impaired by the use of drugs.

"They aren't the simplest of methods like a breathalyzer, but we do
have methods and we do have the capabilities to give out 24-hour
driving suspensions if we believe someone is high," Carr said.

Another complication with the proposed legislation is B.C. doesn't
fall under the Contraventions Act.

In order for police to issue tickets for simple possession, B.C. must
adopt that act.

Media inquiries to local RCMP detachments about the new law were
deferred to the national RCMP headquarters.