Pubdate: Thu, 07 Aug 2014
Source: Vaughan Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.yorkregion.com/vaughan-on/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2432
Author: Jeremy Grimaldi

SHOULD POT RULES BE SOFTENED?

York Police Chief Eric Jolliffe says yes, but he doesn't believe in
decriminalization or legalization

If you're found smoking a joint on a corner in York Region should you
end up with a criminal record?

York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffe doesn't think
so.

He says a more measured approach should be considered for minor pot
offences - the equivalent of someone possessing 30 grams of marijuana
or about 40 joints.

For that amount, while also using officers discretion, those who are
simple users would be given a ticket, similar to what residents would
receive for drinking in a park.

Despite this modern stance, Jolliffe is quite clear this does not mean
he's in favour of decriminalization or legalization of the drug.

"It is our opinion that the illicit use of cannabis has a negative
impact on public safety and the health of young persons," he says.

He does, however, believe a fresh approach to the issue would benefit
his officers, residents and institutions here and across the country.

"From our perspective, what is being proposed will lessen the burden
on the criminal justice system as well as our officers' time having to
attend court for these relatively minor offences," he wrote in an
email. "It will also allow our officers to use their discretion on a
case by case basis, which is more efficient and makes good common sense."

Jolliffe, similar to many chiefs around the country, is not the only
one whose view is shifting under a weight of research that suggests
marijuana users should not be put through the court system.

Many, including federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who is in
favour of the government taxing and regulating the substance, agree
the drug should be legalized entirely.

Colorado and Washington, for example, legalized marijuana for adults
older than 21 on Jan. 1.

Meanwhile, the results of a national survey of 3,000 Canadians
commissioned by the Justice Department shows two-thirds of respondents
want marijuana laws softened. A majority, however, say companies
should not be allowed to package and sell marijuana like alcohol and
cigarettes.

In addition, just more than 37 per cent say marijuana should be
legalized, 33.4 percent want small amounts decriminalized, 13.7 per
cent say the laws should stay the same, and 12 per cent say they
should be strengthened.

In light Trudeau's views, the Conservative government put out the
following message on its website.

"These drugs are illegal because of the harmful effect they have on
users and on society," the statement reads. "We will continue
protecting the interests of families across this country. Our
government has no interest in seeing marijuana legalized."

When it comes to Chief Jolliffe's position, which is one that is
backed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Conservative
House Leader and York Simcoe MP Peter Van Loan says the government is
considering it.

Ottawa is mulling over the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police's
proposal to ticket small amounts of marijuana, he says.

"Unlike the Liberal Party, we have been very clear we have no
intention of legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana. The Chiefs of
Police have also been very clear that they do not support marijuana
legalisation," he says.

Oak Ridges Conservative MP Paul Calandra says that while he is
personally "undecided" on the issue, the federal government's policy
has been slowly morphing on medical marijuana policy.

It has made significant changes and raised the option of
decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.

"Police know the difference between someone trafficking and someone
using it for non-medicinal purposes," Calandra says. "I haven't seen
evidence either way. I have spoken to officer friends who say they
would like another tool in the toolbox (ticketing for small amounts)."

The issue of whether or not to decriminalize small amounts of
marijuana has been divisive, say marijuana advocates who have been
following the debate for some time.

Craig Jones, the executive director of the National Organization for
the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Canada, says that giving police
discretion is controversial.

"For a long time, police officers on the front line have been trying
to strike this balance between enforcing the law and recognizing that
the law is overburdensome, not only on the individual, but also for
the criminal justice system," he says. "Unless the possessor is also
in possession of a gun and several thousand dollars in cash and some
cocaine, the individual is probably going to quit using it anyway.
Punishment is disproportionate to the crime."

Jones also says there are hidden threats in trusting police as to when
and where they lay charges for the crime of smoking marijuana in public.

Consider, for example, that people in different parts of the country
would suffer a different experience if they are found with a bag of
pot.

"In Kingston, you can walk through the 'student ghetto' and you will
see kids on front porches smoking hookha or cannabis and you won't see
a cop for miles," Jones says. "But go to the north end and it's a very
different experience because that's where families of the prisoners
live. There's a very clear class bias in cannabis convictions. White
kids don't get busted. Their experience in the criminal justice system
is very different from minorities."

He says the best thing about the national police chiefs policy and
Jolliffe's words are that they acknowledge they are trying to lessen
the burden of bad laws.

However, he says the association's proposed reforms do not go far
enough.
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MAP posted-by: Matt