DRUGS: CHRETIEN POT POLICY SLAMMED

Two Langley politicians are fuming over the federal government's plans to
change marijuana laws.

Decriminalization of marijuana isn't going down well with two prominent
Langley politicians.

MP Randy White and MLA Rich Coleman both criticized Prime Minister Jean
Chretien's announcement that the government will push ahead with plans to
decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The PM is "in a panic," said White, federal Opposition Solicitor General
critic.

A Supreme Court decision on decriminalization of marijuana is expected next
week, White said, and Chretien is attempting to appease the courts by
showing he's made a decision.

White, MP for Langley-Abbotsford, was vice-chair of a special parliamentary
committee on non-medical use of drugs.

"It is ironic that the Liberal Government of Canada carelessly blurts out a
policy of decriminalization of marijuana before it considers the 41
recommendations given to it from the . . . committee," he said.

White questioned the amount of weed the 30-gram limit the government is
proposing. That could be as much as 30 to 60 joints, or cigarettes, White
said.

"If you're caught with 30 to 40 [joints] on a school's grounds, that's not
personal use. You're there to sell it," he said.

To prevent young people from getting criminal records for minor possession,
he said, the limit should be five grams.

White also questioned the government's plan to ticket people for minor
possession: "The marijuana advocates have told me that they have no
intention of paying the fines anyways." he said.

Canada is lacking a national drug policy, White said, adding it is ironic
that the federal government is pushing decriminalization without addressing
the harm of smoking marijuana.

White also suggested that Chretien's comments could harm its relationship
with the U.S. with it's "ad hoc policy," White said

"These guys have no plan, they're just blurting it out," White said.

Coleman, Fort Langley-Aldergrove MP and B.C.'s Solicitor General, voiced
similar concerns.

"I don't believe they've actually sat down with our friends to the south,"
Coleman said. "I'm very concerned about our message to our international
partners."

The feds are not addressing B.C.'s serious problems with the drug trade and
organized crime, Coleman said.

The provincial government has been pushing hard to close down marijuana grow
operations, especially those tied to organized crime, while the federal
government was to decriminalize the drug, Coleman said: "There are still
neighbourhoods in Surrey [and] in Langley that are all being put at risk
because of these grow ops."

Furthermore, Coleman said, charges aren't currently laid in a majority of
small possession offenses, but with the new law, all those people could be
ticketed.

Like White, Coleman wondered how fines would be collected. Only 30 per cent
of liquor fines are paid, he said, because there is no discipline on the
collection side.

On the other hand, Coleman worried that a collection enforcement protocol
might create more expensive red tape in the system.

"Are you going to create yourself another bureaucracy like the gun
registry?" he asked.

Whatever happens in Ottawa, Coleman pledges to keep fighting for better drug
enforcement in B.C.

"The federal government has the right to make laws, and we will adjust
accordingly," he said, "but we will still push against drugs."