POLICE NOT TURNING BLIND EYE TO POT POSSESSION

Pot smokers in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality who think it might be
safe to be in possession of small amounts of marijuana should keep their
stash well hidden.

While there are signs that Canada's marijuana laws are being relaxed,
Associated Police Chief Dave Wilson said Friday his officers will be
strictly enforcing the current laws of the land which prohibit possession
unless the individual is licensed to use the drug for medical purposes.

"We will continue to operate in the same way until there is a change in the
law," said Wilson, whose officers service the province's second largest
municipality.

Wilson said marijuana users should not be lured into a false sense of
security because of indications the law regarding possession will change.

He said until the law is actually changed, Cape Breton Regional Police will
conduct themselves in the usual manner which means charging individuals for
possession.

An Ontario Court judge is the latest to add fuel to the marijuana fire this
week by turfing a marijuana charge against a 16-year-old boy.

Justice Douglas Phillips dropped the charge after the boy's defence lawyer,
Brian McAllister, argued there is effectively no law prohibiting the
possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.

A conviction of possessing 30 grams or less of pot can carry a fine or up
to six months in jail.

The confusion in Ontario stems from a two-year-old Ontario Court of Appeal
decision that sided with marijuana user Terry Parker who argued the law
violated the rights of sick people using the drug for medical reasons.
Parker, an epileptic, said he needs marijuana to control his seizures.

The federal government's response to the Parker ruling was Marijuana
Medical Access Regulations which are supposed to allow marijuana use for
medical reasons under certain circumstances.

Those regulations have been widely criticized for being cumbersome, unfair
and loaded down with bureaucratic red tape.

Meanwhile, federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon is expected to introduce
legislation this year which would allow users to possess 30 grams of the
drug or less without facing a criminal charge.

While such legislation is supported by Wilson and national police
associations, it has been highly criticized by the United States which
hinted Canadians may find themselves in longer lineups at boarder crossings
as a result.