Pubdate: Wed, 01 Aug 2007
Source: Canmore Leader (CN AB)
Copyright: 2007 Canmore Leader
Contact:  http://www.canmoreleader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3321
Author: Larissa Barlow
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

BOW VALLEY SMOKERS NO STRANGERS TO POT

With Canadians earning the dubious honour of being the biggest
marijuana users in the industrialized world, Bow Valley residents
don't buck the toking trend -- though it's not as bad as it used to
be.

In the United Nations 2007 World Drug Report, it was  found Canadians
used marijuana four times the world  average. Canada was also ranked
fifth in the world for  pot use behind Ghana, Zambia, Papua New Guinea
and  Micronesia.

As the top industrialized nation on the list, Canada  has to contend
with being a country ready to light up.

Nation-wide, British Columbia always gets tagged as the  smoke heavy
province, but Alberta is not abstaining  from the drug.

In the Bow Valley, marijuana use was once a major  problem with large
busts carried out by police on a  regular basis. But after last year's
big crackdown on  trafficking, large-scale raids have declined because
  the drugs just aren't there.

"I know our Bow Valley GIS unit concentrated on that  problem real
heavy last year," said Banff RCMP Cpl.  Mike Stourac. "I think it
slowed it down and hammered  it quite a bit."

While the bigger busts have shaken out the large-scale  dealers, there
are still smaller amounts circulating.

Police often end up finding small amounts during  routine traffic
stops and are then faced with an  argumentative driver saying they've
done nothing wrong  because they thought it was legal.

It's that perception of marijuana being exempt from the  law that
experts say keeps people lighting up. Not only  is it a more socially
acceptable drug, but people  aren't aware of the legal or health
issues involved. It  all keeps marijuana circulating in the Bow Valley
and  Canadians at the top of the pot smokers' list.

"I think there's that concept that it's not harmful,  that's its not
addictive and that you can kind of take  it or leave it," said Alberta
Alcohol and Drug Abuse  Commission addictions councillor Fred Folliott.

Folliott said 80 per cent of the clients they've seen  in the area
over the last few years admit to using  marijuana, but don't list it
as one of their drugs of  concern. Alcohol and cocaine top that list
even though  pot does have its health risks.

While the majority of people that use it don't develop  a habit, it
can become addictive and it contains  carcinogens.

Folliott said driving while high is also a rising  problem, as people
don't associate it with impairment  like they do alcohol.

On the legal side, a pot bust could tag the user as a  criminal and
limit travel options to the US and  overseas.

And as the RCMP make a concerted effort to stamp out  pot in the
valley, small amounts are still floating  around.

"I remember when I first started it was more stopping  people with big
amounts and there were many dealers,  but it's smaller now," Stourac
said.
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MAP posted-by: Derek