Pubdate: Tue, 06 Jun 2000
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  333 King St. E., Toronto, Ontario M5A 3X5 Canada
Fax: (416) 947-3228
Website: http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoSun/
Forum: http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/newsgroups.html
Author: Dan Kowbell
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor; headline by newshawk

HOLY TOKES

Holy Tokes - oops, I meant holy smokes - Julian Fantino is the man of 
vision we'd all hoped for when he became chief of police. Sure, we've all 
heard the rhetoric about the decriminalizing of marijuana before from 
biased lobby groups but to hear this from Chief Fantino takes my breath 
away. Not because I'm a big pro-pot advocate, but because the chief 
recognizes the obvious futility in the minute pot busts that clog our 
courts and waste valuable police time on the streets.

What's truly encouraging is the fact that by coming out with his views on 
this matter Fantino proves he's not afraid to rock the staunch conservative 
boat in this city for its betterment. Those who will equate decriminalizing 
small amounts of marijuana with the end of society as we know it, should 
read beyond the headlines and will find that Chief Fantino's "contemporary 
way" of dealing with this issue has all the bases covered.

Dan Kowbell

(Fantino's stand echoes the one taken by the Canadian Association of Chiefs 
of Police)
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