DECRIMINALIZE POT, MP SAYS, BUT DON'T MAKE IT FULLY LEGAL

Keith Martin Agrees With Much Of Senate Report

It's not surprising that Keith Martin, the Canadian Alliance MP for
Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, has something to say about the Senate's
just-released report recommending the legalization of marijuana.

After all, Martin has been vocal on his position that marijuana should be
decriminalized (where someone found in possession of marijuana would
receive a fine but no criminal record).

Martin said last week that he welcomes the report, from a Senate special
committee chaired by Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, as it contains some
recommendations he supports. However, he doesn't support the report's
position that marijuana possession should be fully legalized.

The report argues that legalizing marijuana would be a major blow to
organized crime as it would put the illegal large-scale marijuana trade -
that is so prevalent in B.C. - out of commission. Criminal organizations
that traffic marijuana would be out of business as the report calls for the
sale and distribution of pot to be regulated for sale under licence for
legal use for anyone 16 years of age and older.

Martin argues that legalizing marijuana would actually increase the level
of trafficking of pot from Canada to the U.S. The level of marijuana
growing operations would increase in Canada if pot was legal and more of it
would make it across the border, he says.

"Legalizing marijuana in Canada would make us a bigger haven for organized
crime," Martin said.

However, Martin hinted that organized crime would suffer a major blow if
the U.S. ever decided to legalize marijuana.

"If it was legalized in the U.S. you would have a situation that changes
everything," he said.

That said, Martin supports the special committee's view that Canada should
encourage the U.S. to ease off on its war on drugs.

Martin says he strongly agrees with the report's recommendation that the
federal government should erase the criminal records of all Canadians who
have been convicted of marijuana possession.

The report recommends that rules concerning access to marijuana for
medicinal purposes be loosened (the current rules governing access to
marijuana for medicinal purposes have received a lot of criticism from
activists who say the rules make it too difficult for ill people to acquire
pot).

Martin, a trained physician, says he fully supports people having easier
access to marijuana for medicinal purposes. He points out marijuana is
considered by many as an effective method of dealing with painful symptoms
from such illnesses as AIDS.

"My personal view as a physician is if we can't relieve the suffering, they
should be able to do whatever they can to relieve their suffering," Martin
said about his belief people should be able to access marijuana for
medicinal purposes.

The report argues that a position shared by many that marijuana use leads
to addiction to harder drugs like heroin is groundless. Martin couldn't
agree more.

"There's not one iota of evidence that marijuana leads to heroin
addiction," he said adamantly.

The brain chemistry in some people is "hard-wired" in such a way they
require instant gratification which can be found in all kinds of substances
ranging from caffeine to heroin, Martin said. Rather than blaming marijuana
for causing people to become addicted to hard drugs, the focus should be on
the people themselves who need to have their addictive tendencies treated,
he said.

Martin unsuccessfully tried to have a private member's bill, calling for
the decriminalization of marijuana, addressed in Parliament earlier this
year. The Liberals, at the order of the Prime Minister's Office, quashed
the bill in the House of Commons. Martin responded by grabbing the
ceremonial mace, and breaching parliamentary decorum in the process.

Under Martin's private members bill, the fine for a first offence of
marijuana possession would be $200; while those guilty of second and third
offences would get fines of $500 and $1,000 respectively.

Martin's position was that decriminalizing pot would allow the government
to save money from no longer having to penalize people for marijuana
possession through the criminal justice system. The money saved could be
well spent in treating addiction and going after organized crime.