Pubdate: Wed, 07 May 2003 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2003 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Neil Boyd Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n640/a06.html DON'T LUMP PERSONAL POT USERS IN WITH BIG-TIME CRIMINALS U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci suggests that decriminalization of cannabis will not lead to "border friction" if the new law also contains tougher penalties for trafficking and cultivation (Ambassador softens U.S. stance on pot-law changes, May 3). We need greater clarity from Canadian officials about the intent of the proposed amendments. Last December, a House of Commons committee recommended decriminalization of both the cultivation and possession of small amounts of cannabis. The point of this change was to indicate that marijuana consumption should be a matter of public health, not a criminal law matter. There are good reasons for federal and provincial governments to discourage use of this drug, but few good reasons for labelling the informed adult user as a criminal. Further, current law already provides a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for trafficking in cannabis and its derivatives. There seems to be little room for tougher penalties. At the same time, there are many good reasons to be concerned about the illicit commercial trade in cannabis -- violent rip-offs, drive-by shootings, theft of electricity, neighbourhood blight and hundreds of millions of dollars in untaxed income. A critical first step on the road to reducing or eliminating these problems is to endorse last December's proposal from the House of Commons -- to permit the user to bypass the black market, by growing and consuming to meet personal needs. The proposed changes would allow the police and the courts to draw a clearer distinction between the activities of personal cultivation and commercial distribution. Neil Boyd Professor School of Criminology Simon Fraser University - --- MAP posted-by: Alex