Pubdate: Mon, 09 Nov 2015
Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB)
Copyright: 2015 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.winnipegsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.winnipegsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503
Author: Chris Doucette
Page: 4
Referenced: RMHIDTA report: http://mapinc.org/url/y1FgR5eQ

GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER

When it comes to legalizing marijuana, Colorado has been blazing a
trail for other jurisdictions to follow since 2012.

But Tom Gordon, director of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) program, tells the Toronto Sun his federal
government program has been studying the impact legalizing pot has had
on the state and the results so far appear "pretty grim."

Question: The RMHIDTA report released in September, "the legalization of 
marijuana in Colorado: the impact," found marijuana use has essentially 
doubled among adults and youths, 12 to 17, since Colorado legalized the 
recreational use and sale of the drug. Did this surprise you?

Answer: "If you legalize something and make it readily available, more 
people are going to use it. And any time you have an increased use of 
any intoxicant, there is going to be an impact on society. That's only 
logical."

Q: Is it possible the RMHIDTA study, which found marijuana-related
traffic deaths increased 92% from 2010 to 2014, is skewed because your
program is run by the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy?

A: "These aren't our numbers. We collected the data (from law
enforcement, hospitals, Coroner's offices and other agencies) and
examined it."

Q: Is it challenging for police to nab drivers who are impaired by
marijuana?

A: "Yes because currently there's no roadside test for marijuana. If
officers suspect a driver is impaired by drugs, they must ask for a
drug recognition expert to come to the scene. The next step would be
to conduct a blood test, but that can only be done if the motorist
agrees to it."

Q: What about motorists who are impaired by both drugs and
alcohol?

A: "If the officer suspects a motorist has been drinking, a roadside
breath test is administered. If the driver blows over, a charge of
driving under the influence is laid. They don't bother pursuing drug
testing because it's the same charge. But that means many
drug-impaired drivers go unreported, so the numbers are even higher
than we know."

Q: How challenging is it to convict drug-impaired drivers?

A: "It's absolutely difficult. Drug-impaired drivers often get off
after testing several times over the legal limit (5 nanograms of THC
per millilitre of blood). They have argued they weren't impaired
because they use marijuana every day for medicinal reasons and don't
get high. Strangely, juries buy this story even though it's not logical."

Q: Drivers can be charged for having opened liquor in their vehicle.
How does it work with pot?

A: "You can have marijuana in your car, up to an ounce per occupant.
But you can't smoke it in your car because that's considered a public
place and it's illegal to smoke it in public. You may get a citation
and have to pay a fine."

Q: Have drug dealers vanished from the streets since pot was
legalized?

A: "The idea was to eliminate the black market but we have become the
black market. Anyone over 21 can grow 6 plants and harvest three times
a year legally. People often grow more claiming it's for (friends), so
it's a great place to go if you want to make money growing marijuana.
Some dealers have been able to raise their price and still undercut
retailers."

Q: With hundreds of shops, private citizens and street dealers selling
marijuana, isn't the supply far greater than the demand?

A: "There are now more medical marijuana centres (198) in Denver than
pharmacies (117). I'm told you can smell the stuff walking down the
street. A lot of the marijuana is sold illegally in neighbouring
states where people can charge more."

Q: Do you think our new PM Justin Trudeau, who has three kids under
10, might be less eager to legalize pot once he has parented teenagers?

A: "Quite likely. The hardest thing I deal with is parents whose kids
are on drugs and end up in trouble with the law or dropping out of
school. You really feel for them."

Q: Should Canadians be worried?

A: "I absolutely think Canadians should be concerned. You have a great
country, so many things to be proud of. Why do something that could
have a negative impact on your kids, your cities and towns."

Q: What advice would you offer Canada on legalization?

A: "Don't go down this road until all the data is in because once the
door is opened it's hard to shut. Use Colorado as your lab rat. Wait
to see what happens with this experiment your neighbours to the south
are conducting and then decide."
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MAP posted-by: Matt