MOVE TO LEGALIZE POT FRAUGHT WITH PROBLEMS: DRUG COUNSELLOR

Decriminalizing marijuana isn't likely to make Adrian Maisonneuve's job any
easier.

The youth addiction counsellor for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention
Treatment Society (ADAPT) sees the federal government's move to
decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana as a step
backward in the fight against youth addiction.

"I think it's going to make it more difficult," Maisonneuve says. "They
hear in their own minds it's okay -- even the government thinks it should
be legalized. They don't hear the other aspects that there are still fines,
it's still illegal."

The House of Commons committee on drugs is recommending that possession of
small amounts of marijuana be changed from an offence worthy of a criminal
record to an offence worthy of possibly just a fine. Trafficking would
still remain a crime.

New legislation is expected early in the new year. Maisonneuve sees it as
the government caving in on the problem.

"It's as if the government feels nothing is working so they'll just drop
the bar," he says.

"I can see kids taking it as wholesale agreement that pot is legal and
there is nothing wrong with it."

The federal proposal does include other measures such as a prevention and
education program aimed at young people, and $3 million in funding for the
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

Rob Grant, a representative of the Nanaimo Alcohol and Drug Abuse Committee
as well as executive director of ADAPT, says the coalition of community
services agencies will be reviewing the committee's report.

While the issue of decriminalization is taking the limelight right now,
it's the other less publicized components of the report that bear a more
intensive look, he adds.

"I think it's great there's a debate. It's really important stuff to talk
about. Hopefully it will continue to create debate and get people looking
at other parts of the report," he says.

"I'm sure there are other far more important things in that report."

Nanaimo MP Reed Elley sees the 30-gram possession limit too high for just a
summary conviction.

Even Holland, the most liberal European country, has a 5-gram maximum.

Elley believes a 5-gram limit is more realistic, and would serve the
purpose of keeping marijuana illegal while acknowledging the difficulty
possession of small amounts of marijuana places on police resources. He
hopes the money saved can be put into prevention.

Maisonneuve hopes the education component for youth will be stressed.

"All research shows the younger a person is exposed to drugs the higher the
probability they will develop an addiction to drugs," he says.

"Starting earlier affects growth, so consequently they have more problems
as an adult."