Pubdate: Sat, 17 Oct 2015
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Joe Warmington
Page: 7

FANTINO HAPPY TO BE A BUZZKILL

When it comes to politicians' free and frequent marijuana use, Julian
Fantino says he doesn't mind being a killjoy.

"I am opposed," he says adamantly.

On the subject of legalizing marijuana, Toronto's former police chief
wears his old school label like a badge of honour.

The Vaughan-Woodbridge MP says he hasn't talked with anyone in his
riding who favours loosening marijuana laws to the point where there
would be actual businesses tailored to selling the drug.

"I can tell you, marijuana in coffee shops is a no-go here," he told
me. "I am pretty plugged into this community that I have lived in
since 1981, it's where I raised my family, and I can tell you it is
not something that is wanted."

Coffee shops? This was the first I had heard of that.

Fellow former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, Liberal Leader Justin
Trudeau and many others have talked of legalization in one form or
another, but coffee shops?

"I say it because that is my opponent's position," Fantino said of
Liberal Francesco Sorbara. "I see legalizing it or putting it in shops
as trying to normalize narcotics, when the truth is there is nothing
normal about it. It's a mind-altering drug that causes impairments and
like cigarettes is not healthy."

Looking at past Facebook posts, I did find where Fantino would get the
idea Sorbara supports pot in coffee shops.

"This is the right policy. To follow set up coffee shops and get the
proceeds away from the drug gangs," Sorbara posted in 2011.

I contacted Sorbara for clarification on his ideas. His campaign
responded with an e-mail that didn't mention coffee shops but did
criticize the Conservatives' approach.

"Under the current system, Canada has the highest teen usage of
marijuana amongst developed countries," the e-mail says.

"The Liberal solution is clear: If we pass smart laws that tax and
strictly regulate marijuana, we can better protect our kids, while
preventing millions of dollars from going into the pockets of criminal
elements."

Fantino says he understands the enticement of marijuana. It's a new
cash frontier where many people, including many former police officers
and politicians, could get in on the ground floor. This helps explain
why the marijuana lobby is so opposed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Trudeau might be their best chance to move this fight forward. With
Harper, it's dead.

"There's a lot of money in it," Fantino said. "Big
money."

He said he was offered "to fall in with a company" that wanted to pay
him very well to simply lend his name to it.

Not a chance. "I would never do it."

He has nothing against medically prescribed marijuana for legitimate
patients, but says nothing will change his mind on recreational use.
Or on safe injection sites for heroin users.

"I just can't see people getting a toke and a coffee," he said. "As
for safe injection sites, all I can say from experience in policing
. are not safe."

Fantino says if pot is legalized, the market will grow dramatically
and there will be significant supply and demand issues. Criminal gangs
will fill the void with their product - and without obeying rules and
regulations or paying taxes, which will give them an even greater
stranglehold on the drug game.

"I can tell you organized crime is like water, it takes the path of
least resistance," Fantino said, adding his position is consistent
with that of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.

But what about the results from jurisdictions that have legalized
marijuana, such as Colorado?

"The scorecard on all of that is not in yet," Fantino
warns.

He says young people shouldn't get a criminal record for having a
small amount of pot, but that doesn't mean selling it in a coffee shop
is the right thing for them either.
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MAP posted-by: Matt