POLICE OPPOSE CALL FOR LEGALIZATION OF POT

Chief skeptical of Senate findings

DURHAM - Just say 'no.' That, says Durham Regional Police Chief Kevin
McAlpine, should be Ottawa's response to a controversial Senate committee
report calling for the legalization of marijuana. The Region's top cop
yesterday slammed the recommendation to make pot possession legal, echoing
the position of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP).

A 600-page report released Wednesday by the Senate committee says marijuana
is less harmful than alcohol and calls on Ottawa to make it legally
available to anyone over 16 years, younger than the legal age to buy
cigarettes.

Trafficking would remain illegal, taking the profits away from criminals.

A skeptical Chief McAlpine said he hasn't read the report but is curious to
know the "so-called evidence" on which the committee based its conclusions.

He said not enough is known about the long-term damage caused by smoking
marijuana and added he hasn't seen a reliable study that proves pot carries
less dangerous health and social consequences than alcohol.

Anyhow, he figures the recommendations will just go up in smoke.

"I think this committee is unlikely to drive significant change. It's a
Senate committee. I don't see any signals (of change) from government,"
Chief McAlpine said.

The committee issued its findings following a two-year study of drug policy
in which 234 witnesses were interviewed in Canada and around the world.

It calls on federal legislators to erase the criminal records of anyone
convicted of possession, make marijuana legal to all persons 16 and older
and impose a system by which government would control distribution.

While it strongly opposes legalization, OACP said in a statement responding
to the report, that it "would entertain" supporting decriminalization of
pot, meaning possession of pot would not result in a criminal record.