JOINT'S BUZZIN'

Activitists Laud, Cops Jeer As Report Suggests Legalizing Pot

OTTAWA -- Pot smoking should be legal for any resident over 16, a Senate
committee said yesterday in a sweeping recommendation that goes beyond
decriminalization or even the kind of tolerance in such cannabis-friendly
jurisdictions as the Netherlands.

The report was hailed by marijuana activists but fiercely condemned by the
Canadian Police Association, which called it "a back-to-school gift for
drug pushers."

Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, chairman of the special committee that drafted
the report, acknowledged the issue remains in the hands of the federal
government and said nothing is likely to happen quickly.

A House of Commons committee is expected to issue a report on illicit drugs
in November. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said the government will study
those findings and won't unveil its position before early next year.

Cauchon wouldn't say whether he feels the time has come for legalization,
but he did suggest current marijuana laws are outdated.

"We must be able to evolve at the pace of society," he said in Quebec City.
"It strikes me as unlikely that someone could have a criminal record after
being arrested for simple possession."

While all political parties support decriminalization, legalization is a
big step beyond that. The former would make it legal to possess small
amounts of cannabis for personal use; the latter could see it sold at
government outlets, even stores.

The report said the current system of prohibition simply doesn't work and
should be replaced by a regulated system, perhaps like that used for
alcohol, with cannabis available to anyone 16 or older.

"Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is
substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a
criminal issue but as a social and public health issue," Nolin said.

The senators called for an amnesty for the 300,000 to 600,000 Canadians who
have a criminal record for simple possession of cannabis.

David Griffin, executive director of the Canadian Police Association, said
he was appalled by the report.

"Drugs are not dangerous because they're illegal, drugs are illegal because
they are dangerous," he said.

"There is no such thing as safe use of illicit drugs, including marijuana."