ARE WE GOING TO POT?

Time to clear the air on some issues surrounding marijuana

For decades now, a haze has hung over marijuana use in this country.

Millions smoke it unabashedly, yet police still bust 30,000 Canadians a
year for simple possession.

A long list of government reports and court cases have called, to varying
degrees, for the laws to change -- but they haven't.

Until now.

Canada's Justice Minister, Martin Cauchon, is poised to bring in
legislation relaxing the law against simple possession this year -- perhaps
as early as this June.

The prime minister has said, in no uncertain terms, that "we will soon
introduce legislation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of
marijuana so that young people do not have unnecessary criminal records for
the rest of their lives."

But is Canada ready?

In a special week-long series, Sun Media reporters have explored that
question, examining our pot laws and what changing them would mean to most
Canadians.

The series' findings surprised many and also was the catalyst for the
increased debate and declarations by Jean Chretien this past week.

For instance, our exclusive Leger Marketing poll, conducted April 1-6,
showed that, although only a minority of Canadians (35%) still believe that
pot leads to harder drugs, a majority (56%) have never used it.

Only 12% say they've smoked in the past year (though among 18-24-year-olds,
that figure jumped to 36%).

But here's the clincher.

Fully 83% of respondents to the poll want pot prohibition to be less
stringent and a mere 14% said marijuana should remain illegal in all
circumstances.

"It seems that with just 14% now saying it should be illegal, that's really
saying people think changes needed to be made soon in some way, shape or
form," said Leger Marketing pollster Lesli Martin.

Canadians are, however, deeply divided on what should be done about the
laws. Most favour change, but there's great debate about how far it should
go -- whether to fully legalize, decriminalize, or simply allow for the
medical use of marijuana, which 60% of Canadians support without qualification.

Perhaps that's why Cauchon isn't proposing dramatic change right now. As he
told the Sun, his new law will simply mean someone caught with a small
amount of pot (likely around 10 grams, though that's yet to be decided)
will get a ticket, instead of a criminal record. That's it.

Hardly the legal revolution pot advocates have clamoured for. You won't be
buying pot at your local drug or liquor store anytime soon.

Yet, even this small step toward decriminalization raises serious issues,
some of which the feds have yet to tackle:

How do we deal with drivers who are stoned behind the wheel? (Cauchon
admits there's no reliable sobriety test).

Should pot only be legal for adults? How will we deter children from using
it? And if it's legal to buy it but not not sell it, won't that still leave
recreational and medical users vulnerable to the organized crime-controlled
drug trade?

Proponents point out that decriminalizing simple possession will save
taxpayers $300 million to $500 million a year -- welcome news, although it
pales in comparison to, say, the $1 billion the feds blew on their long gun
registry.

Opponents, including many cops, say the laws are already flexible enough.
And while it may not be as dangerous as tobacco or alcohol, medical experts
have serious concerns about the health effects of pot use, especially on
young people and the seriously ill.

We share some of these concerns, but we believe they can be addressed under
new laws that decriminalize marijuana. For too long, the debate has been
hijacked by hysteria and extreme claims on both sides.

If new pot laws are coming, we must demand they be based on facts, and
representative of the views and concerns of all Canadians, not just a few
loud voices and special interests.

So bring on the debate.

It's time to clear the air.