Pubdate: Sat, 08 Feb 2014
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2014 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/send_a_letter
Website: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Page: A14

SMOKE THE LAW

THE City of Winnipeg has been licensing so-called head shops for
years, despite the fact that it's been a criminal offence to sell drug
paraphernalia since 1988. Even now, after Winnipeg police charged one
store owner and threatened others, the city is only considering
tougher regulatory control to keep head shops away from schools.

The city has taken the right approach to an industry that some people
consider a bad influence on children. Police, however, have decided to
follow the letter of the law, even though it is inconsistent with the
changing values of society.

Head shops sell items that can be used to smoke marijuana, such as
pipes, bongs and roach clips, which were once regarded as harmless
objects until police forces lobbied Ottawa to outlaw them on the
grounds they glorified marijuana.

There are many ridiculous laws on the books (such as Sec. 163 of the
Criminal Code, which makes it illegal to own or distribute a "crime
comic book"), but police don't enforce them just because they are
technically illegal.

City police said the recent arrest was the result of numerous
complaints. It seems odd that these shops are only now generating
complaints, but the correct way to handle them is through regulation,
much the way porn-video stores were managed in the past.

Meanwhile, Ottawa should repeal its outdated law and hand the problem
to municipalities, which can regulate them according to community
values and ordinary land-use principles.
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MAP posted-by: Matt