A pot war we don't need

By: Steve Madely, Ottawa Sun, 07/10/03

Can Justice Minister Martin Cauchon actually show us a cop who would lay a criminal charge for simple possession of a couple of marijuana joints?

Very doubtful, unless there are other circumstances at play, other actual crimes being committed.

Which begs the question, why the rush to decriminalize?

Most importantly, when the Americans are so determined not to allow even small amounts of a drug they consider harmful across the border, why would we rush headlong into changing a law that for practical purposes doesn't need changing?

Without question, decriminalization will increase cannabis use -- the Netherlands' experience makes that abundantly clear.

Supply meets demand, and in the absurd absence of any plan other than stiffer penalties for trafficking, we know the effect of the legislation will be to give greater incentive to organized crime to traffic the stuff.

If the justice minister had the political fortitude to make genuine -- rather than cosmetic -- change he would have gone all the way and proposed legalizing pot, allowing its sale as a controlled substance complete with the sorts of sin taxes that apply to liquor or tobacco.

A legal source of supply, with stiff penalties for illegal sale, would eventually put most pot traffickers out of business, reduce the likelihood of accompanying sales and promotion of undeniably dangerous designer drugs, and put pot on the level where it clearly belongs ... right next to the most widely abused mood-altering substance in the country, booze.

But not now. Not at this time, because legalization would be the wrong thing to do. As was the lifting of alcohol prohibition in the face of uncontrollable bootlegging, legalizing marijuana is the right thing to do given the unfortunate but undeniable reality that most young Canadians see toking as a right of passage -- no more or less harmful, nor more dangerous than liquor. But this is the wrong time for the change.

The pure pragmatics of our largest trading partner not agreeing with the majority Canadian perspective on pot, means we are flirting with economic disaster from hampered cross-border trade.

The U.S. government is not about to decriminalize or legalize what they still see as the demon weed, an entry-level drug that leads to harder drugs.

Whether we agree with them or not on that score, it is reckless to ignore their warnings that our unilateral decision to decriminalize could have the effect of shutting down the border.

Sure, they recognize we're a sovereign nation and we have our right to change whatever law we wish. But they'll make damned sure it doesn't affect them. They'll put sniffer dogs on every train, plane, truck or car entering the country from Canada. They'll arrest and mercilessly prosecute anyone caught with even the smallest amount.

America is in Drug War mode whether we are or not, and if we want the border to stay open, this is no time to be "fixing" laws that, except for optics, don't need fixing.

Police are not currently charging and Crown attorneys are not currently prosecuting for minor simple possession.

Officers use their discretion, and under the youth offence diversion program couldn't prosecute a possession charge against a juvenile even if they wanted to.

For cross-border travel and trade reasons alone, the Liberals must shelve Project Pot.