Pubdate: Thu, 11 Oct 2012
Source: Merritt Herald (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Merritt Herald
Contact:  http://www.merrittherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1446
Author: Phillip Woolgar

MOST MERRITT MUNICIPAL LEADERS SUPPORT POT DECRIMINALIZATION

After the recent Union of B.C. Municipalities convention vote to
support decriminalizing marijuana, Merritt Mayor Susan Roline and the
majority of councillors said they back the idea.

Roline returned to Merritt last week after the four-day convention in
Victoria from Sept. 24 to 28, where the union voted in favour of a
resolution to decriminalize pot.

"I think we're spending far too much money in our province on people
with simple possession, people who are growing for their own use," she
said.

"Most people who understand marijuana and how it effects your body
know that it doesn't lead to harder drugs on its own. There are a lot
of other things that come into play."

While the UBCM doesn't have authority to enact rules regarding pot
control, it is a major lobby group that can encourage the government
to act.

"Get it so that it is controlled by the government, much like alcohol
is," Roline added.

"Once its production is controlled, you will get a better quality and
you're not getting things mixed into it, such as what the case is now."

Three of the five Merritt councillors who attended the UBCM voted in
favour of the resolution.

Coun. Alastair Murdoch said his decision to support decriminalization
was easy.

"I've been opposed to marijuana criminalization for I don't know how
long," he said. "I told [ex-premier Gordon Campbell] to his face one
time that it's a war they could never win, so why are they throwing
their money at it. I don't think he was overly impressed.

"We are wasting money and destroying lives with the approach we have
now."

But Coun. Mike Goetz voted against the motion, saying more research
needs to be completed before decriminalizing.

"It doesn't have the teeth or the wherewithal that I think it should
have," he said.

"The idea that it would take gangs out of circulation, I think is a
misnomer. The gangs will find other things to be involved with."

Coun. Harry Kroeker, who attended the UBCM but was at another meeting
during the vote, said he would have supported the resolution.

"I feel like if you were caught with just a little bit, it could ruin
your life," he said. "That's not the way to go."

Coun. Kurt Christopherson, who was sworn in as the newest member of
council on Tuesday due to the resignation of Norm Brigden, didn't
attend the UBCM.

He said he would need to hear the debate before making a
decision.

"One of the arguments is that it will be good to get it out of the
hands of criminals," he said. "But unlike alcohol, I don't think
there's a way of testing it to make sure someone isn't impaired."

Coun. Dave Baker said he attended a three-hour marijuana
decriminalization debate before voting "yes."

Coun. Clara Norgaard voted against the resolution.

Other Issues

The UBCM wasn't entirely focused on the pot debate. Merritt's mayor
and councillors put forward two ideas - one was to encourage
government to create a permanent cold-weather shelter program.

"This provides people the opportunity to stay overnight when it is too
cold outside," Roline explained.

The B.C. government funded the shelter program for two years in
Merritt before the money was pulled last year because it was
determined that the shelter wasn't used enough.

"They were going to have it on a case-by-case basis and the RCMP
looked after that," she said. "If they found someone who was outside
and cold, they would take them to a local motel or that person could
go to the police station and then be taken to a local motel."

But she said the program wasn't working and so the City of Merritt put
$2,500 aside for social programs, which was eventually dedicated to a
shelter.

With those funds and other money that the Community Policing Office
raised, the City was able to open a shelter last year.

"The amount of people that used that shelter was huge, so we feel
there is a need for that type of shelter as long as it's in the right
place and open during the right hours," Roline said.

The other idea presented by Merritt's council called to find new
revenue streams for municipalities.

"We asked for a portion of the sales tax," Roline said. "This would be
a more stable source of known funding."

The funding could be dedicated to projects such as the winter
shelter.

Each of the ideas went through at the UBCM without being pulled, which
means they will be considered by the B.C. government.
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MAP posted-by: Matt