Pubdate: Sun, 18 Sep 2016
Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 The Morning Star
Contact:  http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352
Author: Dean Roosevelt

MAYOR CHALLENGED

In a recent television news interview in relation to police oversight
on Canada Criminal Code violations by marijuana dispensaries, Mayor
Akbal Mund cited two opposing positions.

On one hand, he stated quite clearly the local government had no
authority to direct the RCMP on how to enforce the laws.

On the other hand, he stated that, for all intents and purposes, the
City Of Vernon would not be requesting the RCMP to enforce the laws
against street dispensaries that were operating illegally.

Am I the only one who sees these two stances as being totally
contradictory?

Last year, for better or worse, the people in this country who voted,
decided to elect a Liberal majority.

That elected government made a lot of promises. One of them involved
legalization of marijuana, which directly contradicts international
agreements, and which was not mentioned in the last federal budget.

Based on those two realities, it could be many years before marijuana
is legalized in this country.

Such legalization also involves agreement from the
provinces.

Am I the only one who believes that laws that are on the books should
be enforced until they are no longer the law?

Does the mayor of this city have the right to influence direct
policing and deciding which laws he would like to see this city
support and which ones he would like to see this city ignore until
some future legislation might change the ground rules of the justice
system?

I don't believe that was part of his job description when he was
elected two years ago.

Dean Roosevelt

Vernon
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MAP posted-by: Matt