Pubdate: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 The Province Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Ethan Baron, The Province Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Marijuana - Canada) ONE LAW FOR POTHEADS, ANOTHER FOR PICNICKERS, SAYS COUNCILLOR Police made no arrests as thousands of people gathered in Vancouver on Sunday to smoke marijuana at a downtown rally. But a city councillor wants pot-smoking protesters to respect the law, anyway. "Just because we don't like a law doesn't mean we have a right to break it," Coun. Kim Capri said yesterday. Inconsistencies exist in police enforcement, she said. "If a couple want to have a picnic in the park and have a glass of wine with their chicken salad, police will come along and pour the wine out," she said. "And yet we have people smoking pot en masse in public." Vancouver police Const. Tim Fanning said officers attended the rally to ensure public safety. "I don't think anybody in this city would think it would be reasonable to go in and arrest 6,000 to 12,000 people who are smoking pot," the spokesman said. Asked if police inaction against pot-law protesters meant people are free to smoke pot in public in Vancouver, Fanning said police enforce the law when drug use occurs around schools and playgrounds, causes disorder or interferes with other people's lawful enjoyment of public or private spaces. Sunday's annual "4/20" rally was one of many around the world to promote legalization of marijuana. The date matches 4:20 p.m., designated by some potheads as the time to get high. Police did remove a few people who climbed scaffolding. Fanning could not confirm whether officers recorded the event on video, but said it's common practice to do so. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake