Pubdate: Sat, 31 May 2003 Source: Herald, The (WA) Copyright: 2003 The Daily Herald Co. Contact: http://www.heraldnet.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/190 Author: Katherine Schiffner, Herald Writer Cited: Washington State chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws http://www.normlwa.org/ CANADA POT PLAN WORRIES OFFICIALS If Canada decides to reduce the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana, authorities say some Snohomish County residents may make a trip north to light up, and could try to bring the illegal drug back with them. Under the Canadian Cannabis Reform Bill introduced in Parliament on Tuesday by Canada's justice minister, the proposed new penalty for getting caught there with 15 grams of marijuana - about half an ounce - - would become like a traffic ticket. If the law passes, "we may well see Canada become a more popular tourist destination for people who live on the border states, including Washington," said Dominic Holden, Seattle director of the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "People would like to use marijuana without the threat of harsh criminal penalties." The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy and several Snohomish County officials contend that liberalizing Canada's drug law could boost drug use and bring more pot into the United States. Canada is already a major source of marijuana for the United States, with an estimated $2.5 billion worth smuggled in each year, much of it from British Columbia. "Any easing of the prosecution in another country that is so closely adjoining us is going to impact people's importation" of marijuana, said Pat Slack, commander of the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force. Although it's possible more people would try to bring small amounts of pot across the border, changing the law probably wouldn't trigger a wave of large-scale pot smuggling, he said. "I don't expect it to have a whole lot of impact here. I hope it doesn't," said Mark Roe, Snohomish County's chief criminal deputy prosecutor. Canada has no plans to cut penalties for growing or selling B.C. bud, which is popular because of its high potency. The proposed law would actually increase the maximum sentence for illegal growers to 14 years in prison, from the current seven, while trafficking would remain punishable by up to life in prison. Under the law, possession of marijuana would also remain illegal. Violators would be ticketed and ordered to pay fines of up to about $182 U.S. for minor possession, while adults could be fined the equivalent of $292. In Washington state, possession of 40 grams of marijuana or less is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. The minimum penalty is one day in jail and a $250 fine. Even so, police say there's plenty of evidence marijuana use is a problem here. According to a recent study of 512 men booked into the Snohomish County Jail between November and February, about 40 percent tested positive for marijuana. In addition, 59 percent of people 20 and younger who sought publicly funded drug treatment in Snohomish County last year said they were addicted to marijuana, said Cammy Hart-Anderson, a county drug and alcohol counselor. In contrast, about 23 percent said they were addicted to alcohol. "Based on those numbers, we already have a significant problem with marijuana," Hart-Anderson said. Changing Canada's law would send the wrong message, said Dave Rodriguez, director of the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which is part of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy. "The whole strategy is faulty," Rodriguez said. "It encourages the whole industry to grow. They're going to have a ready market, because they can say, 'Try a little bit. If you're caught, you'll only have to pay a fine.'" Canada is already lax in enforcing its existing pot laws, he argued. Reducing the penalty for small amounts could lead to less of a crackdown on major marijuana growers and sellers. Canadian marijuana growing operations "have increased exponentially, and a lot of that is due to the fact they have essentially decriminalized marijuana up there," he said. Marijuana is more potent than it was 20 years ago, Slack said, adding that he's "a total believer that it's a gateway to other drugs." Holden of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana disagreed. If Canada lowers the penalty for possessing small amounts of pot, that "will disprove some of the extreme claims of the federal government and show that reefer madness isn't a result of marijuana decriminalization," he said. But that doesn't mean more pot will flow into Washington, he argued. "Realistically, marijuana is readily available throughout Washington state," he said. "While people might consume it in Canada, people won't take the risk of bringing back such a small amount when they can buy it here." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake