CATHOLIC TRUSTEES WANT TOUGH POT LAWS

Local News - Catholic school board trustees plan on tackling Canada's
increasingly lenient marijuana laws to protect students from going up in
smoke down the road.

"How is this going to affect schools?" asked Clarington trustee Joe Neal.
"I can't imagine trying to run our schools if (marijuana) does in fact
become legal. I'm just thinking about down the road."

Mr. Neal suggested addressing the heavily criticized pot debate in a letter
to parents, notifying them that board members would not stand for
legalizing the drug.

"It's the wrong message for students. I don't hear anybody talking about
the other side of it."

Trustees backed Mr. Neal, saying relaxing dope laws was a contradiction of
rules set by schools across the province and action needed to be taken
before the situation escalated.

Although a plan has not yet been confirmed, Neal said turning up the heat
on local MPPs and federal government officials is one way to get the
message across.

"Once it's legal, it's legal," he said. "I think that's where it's going."

Judges recently dropped the charges against two people who possessed small
quantities of the drug.

Although the ruling is being studied, opponents condemned the decision
saying it set a precedent for future rulings.