SIFTING THROUGH THE SMOKE

"Everybody does it" is not a justification many parents would accept. But
it appears to be a solid part of why the Liberal government is drafting
legislation to decriminalize the possession of arguably small amounts of
marijuana.

There is some validity to the plan. Clogging courts and demanding police
hours to enforce a law the population does not stand behind is an expensive
waste of time. People only obey laws they believe to be just, and if public
opinion has indeed swung far enough around that outlawing marijuana appears
unjust to the majority, it is time the legislation was changed.

Though the bill is still a work in progress, a draft version would see a
small fine levied for those found carrying less than 15 grams of marijuana,
or enough for about 25 joints. Adults would receive more severe fines than
youths caught with the substance. And heavier sentencing and enforcement
will be re-routed to growers and distributors of the drug.

According to officials at Alternatives for Youth, an organization that aids
addicted young people with offices in Flamborough, marijuana intake is
tacitly condoned by many parents today, perhaps thanks to the
nostalgia-tinged view of their own youthful consumption.

This is a mistake. The potent pot grown today bears little resemblance to
the lighter versions smoked by yesterday's flower children. As well, there
is the health damage that smoking anything begets to consider.

As for the argument that cigarettes and alcohol are deadlier than pot, it
is usually considered too late to make those illegal now. That is clearly
not the case with marijuana.

The proposed bill also aims to rid youths of criminal records for what many
see as a routine rite of passage. This goes along with the social
philosophy of the new Youth Criminal Justice Act, which aims to ensure that
young people don't pay with jail time or other unpleasantness for youthful
indiscretions that happen to run afoul of the law.

It's true that a criminal record is an albatross around the neck of a young
person who is trying to make a productive life for themselves. But it is
equally true that young people bear some responsibility for staying on the
right side of the law.

Meting out a stricter punishment for adults than youths for marijuana
possession is teaching all the wrong lessons. Young people must not feel
that they are above the law. They must not feel their youth will protect
them if they willfully choose to break the social contract.

Coming down hard on growers to squeeze out the source is a good idea if the
will to keep pot illegal is still in place.

But we do the younger generation and society as a whole no favour if we
fail to teach that rules matter and that youth is no excuse for breaking
the law.