Pubdate: Tue, 04 Jun 2002
Source: Telegram, The (CN NF)
Contact:  2002 The Telegram
Website: http://www.thetelegram.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/303
Author: Deborah Thomas
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

COMMITTEE INVITES ADVICE ON LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

Testing, Research Should Precede Any Decision, Committee Told

A Senate committee studying illegal drugs made its way to Mount Pearl 
Monday looking for answers.

The committee, which is stopping in only five cities across the country, 
will prepare a senate report that will look at decriminalizing marijuana 
use in Canada.

RCMP Sgt. Jim Power presented his view to the committee, chaired by Senator 
Pierre Claude Nolin, and was adamant he, and the other members of the RCMP, 
do not support legalizing marijuana in any way.

He suggested that before the RCMP would even consider supporting the issue 
many things would have to happen, such as a national drug policy review, 
research determining the effect on the justice and policing systems, and 
the implementation of an effective legislation enabling testing measures 
and detection for drivers.

"In Newfoundland and Labrador the most popular illicit drug is marijuana," 
he said. "What message are we sending to youth as we try to educate them on 
the harms of drugs while changing the laws to legalize?"

Power told the committee, which includes senators Tommy Banks and Ethel 
Cochrane, that marijuana is everywhere in this province. There are several 
grow operations which he said are getting more and more sophisticated every 
day.

"It is easy to get in the schools and on the street," he said.

In his presentation to the senate committee, Power said the Association of 
Canadian Police Chiefs supported the RCMP's position on the issue.

However, in April 1999 that association came out and asked the federal 
government to consider decriminalizing simple possession of marijuana and 
hashish.

Dr. Bill McKim is a professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who 
lectures on the topic of drugs and behaviour.

He presented a more philosophical approach.

McKim, author of Drugs and Behavior -- now in it's fifth printing -- spoke 
of the correlation to drug use and the way one lives his or her life.

"The way the brain is, drugs are attractive and we are drawn to repeat acts 
(like that), anyone who smokes knows that," he said.

"It increases power over them and the drug itself is not the issue."

Banks quizzed both on their thoughts regarding research and whether or not 
it was the government's responsibility to pay for it.

Both agreed before any decisions were made, extensive testing and research 
would have to be done to study the effects of the drug on the body, and on 
a society.

The only member of the public to express an opinion was retired economist 
Gerald Royce.

He expressed concerns over the stigma surrounding marijuana and what it can 
do to the employability of a person.

The committee continues this morning with expert testimony relating to the 
issue.

The committee's report will be released to the public in August.
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MAP posted-by: Alex