NO RIGHT WAY TO STOP POT USE

It's very possible that sometime in the new year it will no longer be a
crime to possess small amounts of marijuana. The federal government,
according to Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, plans to decriminalize the
substance, a move which may take place as early as the first four months of
2003.

Similar measures are also expected to be taken in Britain this year. Some
say decriminalizing pot will make the drug less appealing to youth looking
for a way to rebel against authority.

Marijuana use may even drop, according to some proponents of
decriminalization.

Of course, decriminalization would only cover those caught with small
amounts of pot, under 30 grams, as has been suggested.

However, a private members bill is still on the table, one which calls for
decriminalizing marijuana for people found with 100 grams or less.

That's not likely to happen. What is likely, is instead of being tagged with
a criminal record, those busted for simple possession or marijuana may
instead receive a fine.

According to a recent story in the Globe and Mail, about 600,000 Canadians
have criminal records for possession of marijuana and about 1.5 million
smoke pot on a recreational basis. Legalizing marijuana will likely have
little impact on recreational users of the drug, who would likely experiment
with pot either way.

But an argument can be made that by lessening the severity of minor drug
offences, cases of simple possession in Canada may rise.

That said, a strain could also be lifted from the county's justice system.
While lenience could be taken on those recreational drug users, those who
supply the drugs need to be dealt with severely.

If police and the court system can spend more time dealing with and
convicting traffickers, perhaps the changes and worth considering.