What a drag, it's not just harmless fun

By: Linda Williamson, Toronto Sun, 04/27/03

The last time I smoked pot, the participants included a federal government lawyer, a corporate fundraiser and assorted journalists, all in their late 30s to mid-40s. The pot belonged to a high school vice-principal.

We were at a dinner party, the evening was winding down and the joint - just one, but it was enough - seemed the ideal nightcap, in addition to the wine a few of us were drinking.

We passed it around the table, each taking a drag (this was long before the fear of SARS gripped the country) and a short time later we were all convulsed in fits of giggling, weeping with laughter at heaven only knows what.

It was a sweet, silly moment between friends - some of whom couldn't remember the last time they'd toked. "Imagine - a bunch of forty-year-olds ..." muttered one as we said our goodbyes.

So, a fine time was had and we all went back to our responsible jobs - nobody, as far as I know, went home and mainlined heroin. Nor did anyone get into a fight, as they might have after a lot of booze.

But the fact that I can't tell you when or where this happened, much less the names of the people involved, for fear of legal or professional repercussions, indicates something's just not right here. Why should such harmless fun, between consenting adults, be illegal?

Plenty of other responsible professionals in this country have decided it shouldn't be - the latest being federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon. Several polls and government reports have recommended that simple possession of pot, at the very least, be decriminalized, as well as the purchase and production of small amounts for medical use.

Even our hoary old Senate, for heaven's sake, produced a committee report last year calling for all-out legalization. And if that's not enough to convince you perceptions of pot have changed, consider this: only one of the seven candidates running for the federal Tory - yes, Tory - leadership opposes decriminalization. He happens to be the front-runner, Peter MacKay, but there's no denying that the concept has gained considerable acceptance among conservatives.

The "demon weed" just isn't anymore, and change is clearly in the air. The devil, alas, is in the details.

Cauchon's proposed decriminalization is riddled with potential problems. First, how much "simple possession" should be allowed (subject to a speeding-type ticket, that is)? The initial proposal was for 30 grams or less - a substantial bagful - but that raised too many eyebrows and will likely be whittled down to 10.

Even if that's allowed, though, you won't exactly be able to pick up your 10 grams along with a bottle of wine on your way to your next dinner party. You'll still have to get it through the illegal drug trade - which police in Ontario estimate is 75% controlled by organized crime. Since the feds have no intention of going to full legalization, those gangs - and the violence associated with them - aren't going to go away.

You'll likely see more people driving while stoned, too, with police unequipped to deal with them since no equivalent to the breathalyzer blood-alcohol test exists (instead, cops resort to the old stand-on-one-foot-touch-your-nose tests, which aren't as likely to stand up in court).

Then there are the health concerns associated with long-term use (especially of the really potent stuff, which is significantly stronger than it was 30 years ago) as well as medical marijuana. Up to now, such questions have been unfairly swept aside by the pot lobby as old-style "reefer madness" - but they are being legitimately raised as the hysteria dies down.

For too long, the pot debate has been all or nothing - legalize it or keep the status quo - when I suspect most Canadians' views are probably closer to mine: I don't think pot use should be a crime, but I don't think we're ready for full legalization - not least because I know the government can't handle it. I've never been a huge fan of pot (I hate smoking and I'm not big on mind-altering anything) and I've always had deep reservations about it, none of which are fully answered by the Liberals' middle-road plan. It may seem like an ideal compromise, but could prove to be just another don't-worry-be-happy half-measure that pleases no one. (The new Youth Criminal Justice Act comes to mind, as does the useless gun registry.)

Hey, I'd love to think that all this new law will do is make it easier for very occasional users like me and my friends to enjoy a little buzz once in a blue moon without risking a criminal record. That it won't cause any problems and we'll all giggle happily ever after.

But I'd have to be high to believe it will be that simple.