Pubdate: Sun, 06 Mar 2005 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2005, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/TorontoSun/home.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457 Author: Greg Weston Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) POT SHOTS SLAM GRITS Alberta Massacre Lights 'Grass' Fire THE FORMER high school principal and retired parole board member was visibly shaking at the microphone of the Liberal policy convention, passionately arguing the need for tougher prison sentences for marijuana growing operations. Most of all, Garth Goodhow was madder than hell at mainly young Grits who were calling for the legalization of pot "when four Mounties have just been killed upholding the laws." "It's absolutely beyond belief," Goodhow seethed as he watched the Little Libs perform their mass-mischief at this weekend's party policy conflab in Ottawa. "It's just incredibly insensitive to do this two days after four Mounties were murdered," said the retired but definitely not retiring Goodhow, on this day a decidedly grumpy old guy from North Bay. Based on his experience with the parole board, I asked him, would tougher laws on grow-ops have altered the dreadful tragedy that befell four young RCMP officers in Alberta? "Probably not," Goodhow readily conceded, noting that what killed the four officers was a crazy man with a gun and a hatred for police, not a doper trying to protect his pot crop. No matter. A Liberal party voting to legalize marijuana before the four slain officers are even in their graves, he said, "is just plain dumb politically ... Can you just see the headlines tomorrow?" Welcome to the wacky politics of marijuana, an issue more complex than missile defence. And if it is managed with the same clarity, deftness and communications skills that Paul Martin's government has shown on other issues to date, the pot debate is also headed for no end of smoke. On the one hand, some argue convincingly that the best way to put grow ops and their underworld bosses out of business is to legalize pot, and regulate its production and distribution. The parallels to the days of booze prohibition are obvious -- the violence, the organized crime, its ultimate failure. Polls have shown a lot of Canadians would support such a move, or don't much care. But a lot of Canadians are vehemently opposed to making pot legal -- among them plenty of police, doctors, teachers and other professionals with influence on public opinion. There is also the not-so-minor matter of the current U.S. administration that has already let Canada know that legalizing pot in this country could be one fast way to create paralysis at the border. Bottom line is the Martin government has no intention of legalizing pot. Public Security Minister Anne McClellan made it clear yesterday that the legalization of grass isn't happening on her watch. "Young Liberals are young Liberals -- they are good organizers and they have a right to put their resolutions on the floor," she said in an interview yesterday. "But the policy of this government is we do not support the legalization of marijuana." What it does support is decriminalizing the use of pot. A bill currently before parliament would make simple possession of small amounts of grass -- less than 15 grams or about enough for that many joints - -- punishable by a fine of up to $400. It would still be illegal to smoke up, just not criminal. According to Statistics Canada and the latest RCMP criminal intelligence reports, about 4.5 million Canadians broke the law and smoked dope during the past year, including about a third of all students. Given those figures, the government has wisely concluded that making simple possession of pot a criminal offence has done little but give an estimated 600,000 Canadians criminal records. Legalization or decriminalization, one thing is clear from this weekend's Liberal gathering: Where there's smoke, there's political fire. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth