Pubdate: Mon, 24 Feb 2003
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2003 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Richard Kellie
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n274/a11.html

DON'T MAKE STUDENTS CRIMINALS

I was appalled by the news report detailing the St. James Assiniboia School 
Division's intention to urge the Manitoba School Trustees Association to 
"demand" that Ottawa get tougher on marijuana laws. This association has no 
business or mandate to take a stand on matters other than education.

There is no doubt that smoking marijuana can have negative effects on the 
user, but turning young people who engage in smoking marijuana into 
criminals and hardened felons is certainly not the correct way to deal with 
this issue. How ironic that a school board cannot "learn a lesson from 
history." Prohibition in the United States proved that outlawing the use of 
a drug (in that case alcohol) actually increases the hold of organized 
crime on the illicit economy and only serves to ostracize the users of the 
drug. The overcrowding in jails in both Canada and the United States would 
be greatly diminished if the possession of marijuana were changed to a 
misdemeanor. Police resources could be utilized to make our neighbourhoods 
safer instead of running after teenagers experimenting with drugs.

There is no reason to exacerbate the negative effects of drug use by adding 
the stigma of a criminal record to the weight a drug user must bear. There 
is no need for the "zero tolerance" policy and attitude where a young drug 
user is faced with the added trauma of being kicked out of the school for 
drug use. Surely the fact that the present criminalization of drug use is 
not effective must be obvious to thinking people everywhere. Is it not 
better to leave the student in school where counselling and forgiveness can 
be utilized to help the student deal with their drug use? Now, as well as 
denying the student an education, the St. James Assiniboia School Division 
has decided that retribution should also include denying the young person 
their freedom and future?

RICHARD KELLIE

Winnipeg
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