MARIJUANA BILL SENDS MIXED MESSAGES: CHIEF

Although the federal government's marijuana bill may discourage growers and
traffickers of the drug, Lethbridge's police chief says the proposed law
sends the opposite message to users.

"I think there are mixed messages," says police Chief John Middleton-Hope.

"In my mind, this is the promotion of irresponsible use of a substance that
has been repeatedly demonstrated to have a significant impact on the person
who takes it."

The proposed bill, which was postponed this week, calls for the
decriminalization of possessing small amounts of pot but would double
penalties for those convicted of growing the substance for the purpose of
trafficking.

Decision-makers don't understand the powerful impact marijuana use has on
communities, he says.

"This has highly addictive properties, not unlike tobacco. Why would we
encourage the use of a substance that has been demonstrated to have an
impact on learning and on crime?" he says.

"I would think that we would want to discourage it as much as we want to
discourage inappropriate gambling or inappropriate alcohol consumption."

Federal Health Minister Anne McClellan has also expressed concern that
decriminalization could lead to higher drug use.

The bill was expected to be tabled this week in the House of Commons.

On Wednesday the government suddenly announced it was delaying introduction
of the bill until late May, at the earliest.