RCMP DOESN'T SUPPORT POT BILL

The federal government introduced a bill this past Tuesday to decriminalize
marijuana, and the Lloydminster RCMP - just like nearly every police force
nationwide - is not a supporter.

The federal government introduced a bill this past Tuesday to decriminalize
marijuana, and the Lloydminster RCMP - just like nearly every police force
nationwide - is not a supporter.

The new bill, if it is passed, will replace the current criminal penalties
with alternative penalties for possession under 15 grams of pot. If an adult
is caught with less than 15 grams, the fine is $150, and for a youth it's
$100. Sgt. Mike Yanota of the Lloydminster RCMP said the problems with
marijuana go beyond the criminal nature of the drug.

"There are still the social and health issues, but I suspect if it becomes
decriminalized there will be an increase in usage," he said. "We also don't
have any way of testing for it if someone is impaired by marijuana while
driving, so there will have to be some amendments to the Criminal Code."
Yanota said the biggest obstacle police forces face is the institution that
is supposed to convict criminals - the courts.

Getting a search warrant to go through a home is difficult because a
person's house is considered their only private place in this world, and the
court system takes that very seriously.

"Some members of the public think that we can just go and search a house
whenever we want," said Yanota.

"In fact, it's a very involved process and there is a lot of thorough
investigation that has to be done before we can go do a search."

However, Craig Featherstone, director of the Slim Thorpe Recovery Centre,
said he doesn't think there will be an increase in use.

"People will use it anyway, regardless of whether or not it's criminal," he
said. "Marijuana is a big problem in Lloydminster - for some people it may
be their primary drug, but they probably drink as well and dabble in other
drugs, too."

Featherstone said the THC content of today's marijuana is far higher than it
was 20 or 25 years ago. THC is the chemical in marijuana that causes a user
to get high. According to Featherstone, judges are reluctant to convict
users caught with small amounts of the drug because it takes up too much
time in the courts. "Growing has become quite a science. It's come a long
way from throwing a plant in the ground and just letting it grow," said
Featherstone. "There is a way of separating the male plants from the female
plants, and somehow that increases the THC content."

In 2002, the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency made almost 8,000 drug
seizures worth about $370 million. In the United States, 12 states have
decriminalized possession of small amounts and in China possession brings a
minimum seven-year jail term. The policy in that country is zero tolerance.
In Iran, penalties range from fines and lashings for smugglers to possible
death penalties for drug lords and organized traffickers.