Pubdate: Fri, 07 Mar 2014
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: James Keller
Page: 7

COPS NOT CRACKING DOWN ON MEDICAL POT

VANCOUVER - Several police forces in British Columbia say they don't
plan to crack down on patients growing medical marijuana for their
personal use once federal laws make the practice illegal next month -
an approach a pair of criminologists describe as sensible.

New federal laws come into effect April 1 that will allow only select
commercial growers to produce medical marijuana, meaning patients who
currently have Health Canada permission to grow their own will be
breaking the law if they continue.

This week, the Vancouver Police Department said it doesn't plan on
treating small-scale "personal" grow operations as a priority after
April 1, unless they are also suspected of being connected to gangs,
violence or other criminal activity.

Several other forces, including Abbotsford, Victoria and West
Vancouver, say they plan a similar approach.

Neil Boyd, director of the criminology program at Simon Fraser
University near Vancouver, said the police forces' planned response to
the new laws makes sense.

"I think it's a sensible use of police resources," Boyd said
Thursday.

"In terms of public safety and a threat to the social well-being of
the community, it just isn't there."

Boyd said the public likely doesn't have the appetite for a
significant crackdown on medical marijuana growers, even if those
growers could be breaking the law.

"A majority of Canadians don't think it should be a criminal offence
to use it," he said.

"When you put that into the medical sphere, the idea that you're going
to treat people trying to use this drug as a medicine as criminals -
there's no significant public support for that approach."

Ottawa has justified the imminent overhaul of the medical marijuana
regime, in part, by raising concerns about criminals infiltrating the
system.

Canada's medical marijuana regime was first introduced in 2001, when
Health Canada granted fewer than 100 medical marijuana licences. The
federal government says the number of people authorized to either
possess or grow medical marijuana has now increased to 37,000.

Rob Gordon, another Simon Fraser University criminologist, said it's
not feasible to expect local police forces to follow-up on the tens of
thousands of people with medical marijuana licences after the law changes.

"It's highly likely that the police simply wouldn't have the resources
to do it," said Gordon.

"It's absurd to think that the local municipal police departments
would be running around with a hit list to check if people had dumped
their marijuana plants."

Vancouver police issued a statement Wednesday that said the force
would take a "priority-based" approach to medical marijuana users with
"personal" grow operations, primarily targeting cases involving gangs
and violence.

The force will take a similar view on medical marijuana dispensaries,
which are already illegal under the current law but have flourished in
Vancouver.

Abbotsford police spokesman Const. Ian MacDonald said his force's
plans are similar to Vancouver's.

He said small-scale grow operations that don't have ties to organized
crime aren't a priority right now, and they won't be next month.

"I think people are incorrectly envisioning that everything changes as
of April 1, and I don't expect that to be the case," said MacDonald.

"We won't be seeking to search them out. We won't be mustering at 6
a.m. with a master list and start door knocking."

MacDonald said small grow operations don't typically end up on the
police force's radar, and he doesn't expect that to change.

Officials with police forces in Victoria, Abbotsford and West
Vancouver echoed that sentiment.

The RCMP, which acts as the municipal police force in most cities and
towns across B.C., said in a written statement that it will continue
to enforce federal drug laws.

"The RCMP respects individual's privacy and will only pursue leads
based on information received about potential criminal activity," Sgt.
Julie Gagnon wrote.

"However, any marijuana activities not explicitly regulated under the
[new rules] as of April 1, 2014, may be a contravention under the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act."

The federal departments of Justice and Public Safety both referred
questions about the issue to Health Canada.

A written statement from Health Canada largely reiterated the new laws
and made it clear growing or selling medical marijuana without a
licence will be illegal as of April 1.

"Also by that date, all dried marijuana produced under a personal use
or a designated person production licence, or purchased from Health
Canada, must be destroyed," the statement said.

Internal government briefing notes released earlier this year
suggested medical marijuana users who have leftover pot should destroy
it by mixing it with water and cat litter before throwing it in the
garbage.
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MAP posted-by: Matt