'TIMING IS WRONG'

Doer, Local Cops Slam Feds' Relaxed Pot Laws

Premier Gary Doer said he's worried that more relaxed pot laws will hurt
trade with the U.S.

"The timing to me is wrong," Doer said. "We're in the middle of all these
worries with terrorists, we're in the middle of all these worries with
trade actions ... The timing shouldn't be based on a prime minister leaving
a legacy."

The NDP leader also said it's unclear what relaxed pot laws mean for
police, who will have to be on the lookout for stoned drivers.

Winnipeg police traffic division Insp. Stan Tataryn said he can't predict
whether the proposed legislation will spur increased pot usage but he is
concerned about the potential for unsafe roads.

Tataryn admitted marijuana usage is harder to detect than alcohol.

Officers are trained to look for clues in a driver's appearance and motor
skills, but there's no test for marijuana use similar to a breathalyser,
Tataryn said.

Although THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, accumulates in the
bloodstream, cops usually resort to blood tests only in fatal crashes
because the process is too involved for random spotchecks, Tataryn added.

Winnipeg Police Association president Loren Schinkel warned the federal
government's new bill sends the wrong message. He said it tells young
Canadians it's OK to smoke pot, and it shows Americans that Canadian
lawmakers aren't serious about drug abuse.

"This will have huge implications at the borders," Schinkel said. "They
don't tolerate this stuff down in the States."

Canada has recently become a "mecca" for marijuana grow operations,
Schinkel added.

Locally, Winnipeg police have busted more than 60 grow ops so far this
year, compared with 82 in all of last year, said staff Sgt. Doug Lofto.

Winnipeg cops don't support the so-called decriminalization of marijuana
for a variety of reasons.

Marijuana is a gateway drug that often leads its users down the path to
more dangerous drugs and criminal activity, police said.

And marijuana grow ops have been associated with gang violence, including
kidnappings, extortion and home invasions.

Outspoken Winnipeg pot advocate Chris Dalman called the feds "courageous"
for moving toward decriminalization but questions the logic of going after
the growers.

"They should go after the biggest cultivator and grower in the world --
that would be Mother Nature. They should shut down Mother Nature," said a
sarcastic Dalman.