MARIJUANA DEBATE GETS SPARKED UP

A proposed mellowing of Canadian marijuana laws has sparked a heated debate
between friends and foes of the illicit weed. "It's encouraging that they
are talking about it, but I still say we need full legalization," said
long-time cannabis advocate Ron McInnes.

The recommendation that possession of small amounts of pot no longer result
in criminal charges was among several released Thursday by a Special
Parliamentary Committee tasked with studying illegal drugs.

It comes just days after federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon hinted
that his government may introduce legislation to decriminalize pot early in
the new year.

For its part, the parliamentary committee recommends that possession of
less than 30 grams no longer be considered a criminal offence. Instead,
police would hand out tickets with offenders simply paying a fine.

McInnes served four months in jail after being convicted of possession and
other charges following an elaborate raid on his home-based business
several years ago.

A local purveyor of pipes, rolling papers and bongs, he reopened his
infamous Pot Shop the day after his probationary period ended.

While viewing Thursday's announcement as a step in the right direction,
McInnes said it falls short of the mark.

"I don't think decriminalization is the proper thing to do, it should be
legal," he said, adding that the resulting fines could prove to be "a cash
cow."

If Ottawa is looking for support from the law enforcement community, it
won't find it in the front-line officers whose job it is to ferret out
fields of "grass" each summer, said OPP Det. Supt. Jim Hutchinson, director
of drug enforcement for the OPP.

"I don't see any benefit for the community or for policing either,"
Hutchinson told The Mirror. "Some studies suggest marijuana is harmless,
but we do not believe that is so.

"As far as policing goes, it becomes another drug out there that people
have the ability to be impaired by, and so that affects students studying
in our schools, it affects people who are operating expensive machinery in
our factories, and it affects people who are driving cars."

Hutchinson does support efforts to stem the use of drugs like marijuana,
but staunchly opposes any move that would lead to a softening of penalties
for possession, saying it impairs motivation, judgment and perception.

"We are for prevention, education and the rehabilitation of drug users," he
said. "To simply allow a person to pay a ticket and a fine is almost like
licensing. It does not go towards a decrease in the use of drugs. In fact,
it will probably make drugs more available."

He also said that any move to dilute pot laws could undo the years of
progress police have made in reducing incidents of impaired driving through
enforcement efforts and public education campaigns.

Without the means to test drivers suspected of being high, officers' hands
are tied, he said.

"We don't have the equipment or legislation in place to deal with people
who are impaired by marijuana."

According to Hutchinson, the recent liberalization of marijuana laws to
accommodate those with chronic illnesses has already landed some officers
in a legal quagmire as they are confronted with situations in which the ill
are using their special status to supply others with pot.

"It is an enforcement problem in dealing with quantities, with people who
are growing it legally and giving it to those who are not allowed to have
it," he said.

Neither does Hutchinson believe decriminalization of marijuana would
free-up resources to deal with so-called "harder" drugs, as has been
suggested by some.

"We are only talking about simple possession, so certainly our past
position would be if laws like that would change, they would also have to
put more money into education, rehabilitation, and also increase
enforcement on grow houses, commercial trafficking and the production of
illicit drugs, and give us a stronger position to deal with those issues,"
he said.

At Queen's Park, the call for decriminalization was given a
less-than-enthusiastic reception, with Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop
reporting that his government isn't about to support relaxed drug laws.

At least not at a time when the province is fighting to bring about changes
to what it claims is an overly lenient Young Offenders Act, an ineffective
gun registry and cushy federal prisons.

"It's all about justice and law and order, and they think we shouldn't be
weakening a law on marijuana when there are all these other issues
outstanding," he said.

Though opposed to outright legalization, Dunlop's personal belief is that
decriminalization does have merit.

"Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with it, because I grew up in an era
when a lot of people smoked pot and it hasn't ruined their lives."

Among the report's other recommendations is a call for prevention and
education programs, the creation of a drug commissioner and $3 million in
federal funding annually for the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

Trafficking in the drug would remain a crime.

In the past, Justice Minister Cauchon has expressed doubts about the
effectiveness of current drug laws, noting a conviction for drug possession
results in a criminal record and can lead to a person being barred from
professional certification, or from travelling to the U.S.