Pubdate: Sun, 24 Feb 2013
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Gordon McIntyre
Cited: Sensible BC: http://www.sensiblebc.ca/

POT FIGHT 'DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY'

Sensible B.C. says too much of taxpayers' cash is spent on chasing
cannabis users

It costs B.C. taxpayers about $8,750 per pot conviction, the
overwhelming amount of which is for simple possession, according to a
new study.

And only about seven per cent of all police reports of marijuana
possession wind up in convictions.

About a quarter of all police reports of marijuana possession in B.C.
in 2011 led to charges, according to a study by Simon Fraser
University criminology professor Neil Boyd. And about a third of those
ended in convictions.

Commissioned by Sensible B.C., a campaign to decriminalize cannabis in
the province, the study said pot usage in B.C. is pretty well in line
with other provinces - seven per cent of British Columbians used
marijuana in the past week, compared to a national average of six per
cent.

But the number of marijuana offences reported by police in B.C. is
nearly double the national average.

"The rate of marijuana use in B.C. is fairly close to that in other
provinces," Boyd said.

"However, the rate of marijuana offences reported by the police in
B.C. is far higher than that of any other province.

"RCMP have been laying more possession charges across Canada since
2005, with a 30-per-cent increase since that time.

"But in B.C. the increase has been the greatest of the provinces, with
charges for marijuana possession more than doubling here in six years."

And, Boyd pointed out, it is not the drug gangs paying the
consequences: 91 per cent of all cleared cannabis offences are for
possession, he said.

"The vast majority of British Columbians don't think possession of
marijuana should be a criminal offence, but the RCMP here are on their
own crusade, blowing ever-increasing amounts of taxpayers' money on
their failed war against pot smokers," said Dana Larsen, director of
Sensible B.C.

The decriminalize-cannabis campaign is lobbying for a referendum that
promotes what it calls the Sensible Policing Act.

"Passing this law would save B.C. taxpayers at least $10.5 million a
year and let the RCMP focus their resources on real crimes," Larsen
said.

STUDY NUMBERS

* 16,578 police reports of marijuana possession in B.C. in 2011

* 3,774 charges laid

* 1,200 convictions

* Cost of at least $10.5 million
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MAP posted-by: Matt