DOC SAYS POT LESS HARMFUL THAN BOOZE AND TOBACCO; CALLS FOR LEGALIZATION

WINDSOR, Ont. (CP) - Marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco
and should be decriminalized, a federal committee examining the country's
drug policies was told Friday.

"If we discovered three drugs today and they were alcohol, tobacco and
marijuana, there isn't an expert in the country who would recommend that
marijuana be the one that is banned based on individual and societal harm,"
Dr. Patrick Smith of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto
told the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs.

Smith said removing marijuana possession from the Criminal Code and making
it an offence punishable by a fine would not have any impact on its use.

And decriminalization would allow police to focus drug enforcement efforts
on growers and dealers, Smith added.

But a counsellor who treats alcoholics and drug addicts called marijuana a
harmful drug that must be curtailed.

"It's our experience that of the people who are cross-addicted, 95 per cent
of them started with cannabis or marijuana," said Randy Cormier.

"There's no question that cannabis use destroys families, lives,
relationships, results in increases in petty crime, results in poor work
performance leading to loss of employment, is as deadly as alcohol if
combined with driving and is the gateway to more serious drug use."

Windsor police Staff Sgt. Danny Woods said efforts should be stepped up
against growing operations, and that decriminalization would not alleviate
the problem.

"We know that there is violence associated with growing operations as well
as other crimes which are often used to fund these growing centres," he
said. "We expend a lot of time and manpower and we don't believe the
problem will go away by legalizing cannabis."

The committee will table its final report in August.