EASING POT LAWS BAD MOVE: LOCAL MP

More people will begin smoking marijuana if criminal penalties for
possession are eliminated, Prince George-Bulkley Valley MP Dick Harris
warns.

The federal government insisted that legislation introduced Tuesday
isn't meant to promote the use of marijuana. Possession of pot is
still against the law, but people caught with small amounts of up to
15 grams -- enough for 15 to 20 joints -- will face fines instead of
criminal penalties including jail.

"I'm not going to support decriminalization in any quantity," Harris
said. He said marijuana is still a health risk and is morally opposed
by most Canadians. In the Prince George-Bulkley Valley riding, a
series of mail-out surveys showed more than 75 per cent of respondents
were opposed to decriminalization, he said.

Under the legislation, youths could face fines of up to $250 for
having up to 15 grams of the drug while adults could be fined up to
$400. At the same time, growers could face harsher penalties -- a
maximum of 14 years in jail, up from the current seven years.

Harris said easing penalties for pot possession sends the message that
using marijuana is OK and will encourage more people, especially kids,
to toke up. "What's most disturbing of all about the bill is that kids
face lower fines for possession, so what message does that send?" he
said.

He predicts there will be less enforcement of marijuana possession
offences as police focus on criminal offences. Many fines will also be
challenged, he said, forcing police officers to spend more time in
court.

The government also plans to set aside $245 million for law
enforcement, education, research and treatment aimed at reducing the
use of drugs. Public education on the negative health effects of
marijuana will be part of the drug strategy, Health Minister Anne
McLellan said.

But Harris said the way to start curbing marijuana use is to impose
stiffer penalties, not to water down the consequences for users.

Prince George resident Will DeWolf, who ran under the B.C. Marijuana
party banner in the last provincial election, said the legislation
doesn't go far enough. He said it should be legal to possess and grow
marijuana, although he cautioned that cultivation needs to be regulated.

"The penalties are still too stiff. It's a good step in the right
direction," said DeWolf, who said he's no longer an active member of
the Marijuana party. Marijuana, he believes, is less harmful than
cigarettes or alcohol. "So it's kind of unfair to penalize people when
those things are legal," he said. "It's also just about freedom of
choice to do what you want to your own body."