Pubdate: Sat, 29 Apr 2017
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.montrealgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Page: A16

JUST TICKET POT FOR NOW

If all goes according to the Liberal government's recently announced
plan, marijuana will be legal for adults in Canada as of July 1, 2018.
This is a welcome reversal of Canada's 80-year prohibition on pot,
which has never managed to control the demand for the recreational
drug and left a black market in the hands of organized crime. But
while the necessary legislative and practical preparations are
undertaken, it remains a crime for Canadians to possess even small
amounts for personal consumption. This creates unnecessary problems.
It is senseless to go ahead with criminal charges for an offence that
will no longer be a crime in a matter of months, wasting precious
court resources in a justice system already struggling to handle more
serious cases in a timely manner. It is also grossly unfair. Saddling
people with criminal records for something legislators are the process
of legitimizing has devastating consequences. Yet that's exactly
what's been happening for years. Prime! Minister Justin Trudeau has
cited this injustice as one of the reasons for finally legalizing pot.

The prime minister also seems to recognize that marijuana charges
disproportionately hurt the young and the marginalized. Trudeau
recently revealed that his late brother, Michel, was charged with
possession six months before his death in an avalanche. But he said
that his father had the resources to hire a good lawyer and was
confident that there would be no serious legal consequences. Given
Trudeau's acknowledgment that his family's privilege benefited his
brother's case, as well as hints that some form of pardons are a
distinct possibility in the future, especially for those being
convicted now, it seems unfair and pointless to allow criminal charges
to pile up for Canadians without the means to fight them.

The right thing to do is to decriminalize simple marijuana possession
until the new legal framework is in place. This should not be confused
with immediate legalization. It doesn't mean giving a free pass for
trafficking or allowing unfettered consumption, it means merely giving
tickets or fines - instead of criminal charges - to those found to
have small quantities of pot for personal use. There should also be an
awareness campaign to remind the public that smoking up remains
illegal and what the consequences would be of flouting existing laws.
This is needed to clear up the cloud of confusion that is accompanying
the push toward legalization.

The government needs time to hammer out the important details of how
the new marijuana laws will work, but it also has a responsibility to
address the unfairness that is festering in the meantime.
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MAP posted-by: Matt