Pubdate: Wed, 29 Jan 2014
Source: Moose Jaw Times-Herald (CN SN)
Copyright: 2014 The Moose Jaw Times-Herald Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2154
Author: Austin M. Davis

HALF-BAKED PROHIBITION

Moose Jaw police charged a man with possession of marijuana on 
Tuesday. He was released on an appearance notice with a court date.

The arrest report didn't say whether he was inside a house on the 700 
block of Coteau Street West or standing on the street smoking a joint.

Regardless, that man will appear before a judge on a simple 
possession charge. If found guilty for having less than 30 grams of 
marijuana, he could pay a maximum fine of $1,000 and will have that 
haunt his criminal record.

There's also the slight possibility he could serve six months in jail 
in addition to paying the fine.

No person should ever be arrested, have to pay a fine or go to jail 
for using marijuana. But that's not the fault of police officers.

Marijuana is still classified as one of the drugs Canada is fighting 
a war against, even as Washington and Colorado sell it recreationally 
in the United States to adults over the age of 21.

Marijuana will forever be a political issue instead of a social one.

There is a reasonable middle ground somewhere between the 
fear-mongering Conservatives and the puff-puff-pass Liberals.

Since Stephen Harper took office in 2006, there have been more police 
reported criminal incidents of possession every year than the year 
before, with the exception of 2009, according to Juristat.

 From 2006 to 2012, the total of marijuana possessions reported by 
police sat at 366,478. That number is larger than the population of 
London, Ont.

Not all of those possessions resulted in convictions and criminal 
records, but they did take up police resources and backed up an 
already-slow judicial system.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau made headlines by admitting he had 
smoked marijuana since becoming an MP. He has been trotting out 
statistics that marijuana prohibition policy has cost law enforcement 
$500-million a year and has left 475,000 people with criminal records 
since the Conservatives took office in 2006.

I was unable to find evidence of either claim.

Former marijuana user and current American President Barack Obama 
said marijuana is as safe as alcohol.

People lose jobs, partners, families, limbs and lives to alcohol.

Some of the happiest, productive and most well-adjusted people I know 
are marijuana users.

I know of people who have turned their big, beautiful brains into 
garbage with the use of hard drugs like cocaine and ecstasy.

Not everything that's legal is good for us either.

The biggest concern with vices like gambling, alcohol and tobacco are 
keeping them away from kids. We have age restrictions on all three. 
VLTs and tobacco packages have warnings. Liquor stores have signs 
about not using fake IDs, not drinking while pregnant and not 
drinking and driving.

Marijuana legalization would require the same treatment. Keeping it 
away from kids would be most important.

Even with adults, marijuana is not for everyone.

There are studies about the connection between marijuana use and 
psychosis or schizophrenia, but more research needs to be done.

Marijuana is already used in Canada medicinally, and as far as I can 
tell, we haven't fallen into complete anarchy.

If prohibition continues, Canada is in danger of being totally out of 
touch with its citizens, the rest of the world and, most importantly, reality.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom