cannabisnews.com: Feds Just Say No, Cannabis To Stay Illegal Feds Just Say No, Cannabis To Stay Illegal Posted by FoM on May 03, 2000 at 08:17:00 PT By Davis Sheremata, Edmonton Sun Source: Edmonton Sun There is no mandate for the federal government to just ticket those caught in possession of marijuana, a spokesman for federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan said yesterday. Stephen Bindman was responding to a suggestion made by Alberta Justice Minister Dave Hancock Monday that the province study if tickets should be handed out for pot possession to relieve pressure on cops and courts. McLellan "has no immediate plans to decriminalize marijuana even a small amount, because there is division in the police community and in the society at large over this," said Bindman. Bindman said the Canadian Police Association, a police lobby group, recently passed a resolution against easing the consequences of marijuana possession. But the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Bindman added, said it may endorse decriminalizing possession of small amounts. "This is certainly not an issue we're going to take action on immediately because there is this division." Without the feds' willingness to change the Criminal Code, Hancock's plan is dead in the water. But Premier Ralph Klein said yesterday the idea is worth looking at. Klein said he's honestly not sure if people should get criminal records for being caught in possession of minor amounts of marijuana. But he won't be one of them. "I was asked the question if I ever smoked dope and I said 'Yes and I inhaled,' " he said. "But it made me paranoid and I don't want to be any more paranoid than I am right now." Hancock considers pot part of a huge trafficking problem, but wanted to study the strain it places on the courts. For every seizure, police must send a sample to a federal lab in either Vancouver or Eastern Canada, a technician must test it and certify it is a controlled substance. That certificate must come back and be served on the accused. Last September, then Edmonton police chief John Lindsay said he supported patients smoking cannabis for medicinal purposes with a doctor's OK. Acting police Chief Bob Wasylyshen could not be reached for comment yesterday. Hemp advocate Jill Sheridan agreed with Hancock, but she wants him to get a study going before she climbs on board. "Half the people on the street smoke a joint or have a little baggie on them," said Sheridan, manager of the True North Hemp Co. at 10760 82 Ave. "There's a lot of people doing a lot worse things than smoking a joint. "If the government's got the money to incarcerate people for possessing half a gram, they've got the money to research this." City firefighter Dean Troyer also wants pot legalized. He was fined $2,500 and given probation a year ago for having a hydroponic grow operation in his basement. Troyer said he needs to smoke pot to relieve his pain. (Doctors will decide later this week if Troyer has Crohn's disease.) "It's a basic human right that adults should be able to put whatever we want into our bodies," Troyer said. "That should be our decision, not the government's." Published: May 3, 2000Copyright © 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership.Related Articles:Ticket Pot Smokers To Keep Courts Clearhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5570.shtmlPot Too Mild To Be Criminal, Lawyer Argues http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3160.shtmlhttp://alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/search?type=all&query=cannabisnews+pot Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by r.earing on May 04, 2000 at 10:00:45 PT: Canadian Police Association The reason the CPA wants to maintain prohibition is because of their frontman, Grant Obst. He is an old school "Streets of San Franscisco" dumbass cop.Big square head,fluffy moustache ,looks like a '70's porn star. He published an LTE in our local paper last week that stated "In a perfect world there would be a policeman on EVERY corner,but we have to work within our budget." He is also the main defender of our towns' "killer cops" who take aboriginal people out in the countryside to leave them to freeze to death.They killed 5 people in the last seven years in this way.He accuses the court system of bias agaianst police even though the officers involved have admitted to dumping people in minus twenty seven degree celsius temperatures.This Obst guy is a clown.If he's Canada's leading prohibitionist,we've already won! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by John R. Bills on May 03, 2000 at 18:59:36 PT: There IS a Marijuana lobby! Try the link below and give to YOUR lobbyists! Marijuana Policy Lobby [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by cerebus on May 03, 2000 at 14:03:32 PT lobbies see a organized lobby doesnt want the laws changed? maybe their lobby like police lobbies down here realize what a cash cow the drug war is. after all hasnt police down here gotten all their best toys to fight this war? why on gods earth would they give that up? they get ir cameras helicopters paramilitary weapons and most importantly more power. and after all its just too damn easy to smoke out marijuana growers. if ur electric bill shoots up 200 dollars a month u might be a pot grower. least canadans higher up seem to have a much more reasonable attitude than down here. how many of our politicans have admitted to using or oh excuse me "experimenting" with drugs but when it comes to drug laws oh we did it sure but you shouldnt. too bad those politicians had rich parents that could get them out of trouble wheen they get busted. if they were like everyone else a pot bust of any kind more than likely and those guys wouldnt be in office. our prez and vp wastes of flesh that they are bolth smoked but dont have the balls to say so. what clinton oh never inhaled i see yea sure pal. and gore gawd was a 1/4 a day smoker ill bet in school. not to mention bush he apparently didnt do pot he went right for a power trip and to caine. hypocrits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!each and every damn one. too bad someone didnt snich out these lamers sooner. they know mj doesnt cause you to become a fiend rob rape and kill for drugs and they know that the "facts" the government uses to support its war are contrived or outright lies. they know prisons are overflowing with nonviolent drug users. they know that prohibition will NEVER work it never has in this country and never will short of closing off the borders and posting a cop in everyones home. lobbies we need a hemp lobby a medical mj lobby. money and power we cant get the laws changed without the lobbies to pay off the politicans. when we talk decriminialization you dont think the police lobby doles out cash to their pocket politicians and make sure their battle cry is rung to the heavens? facts and truth be dammed we got cash! send all the factual reports on marijuana u want to politicians be sure to slip a 50,000 dollar check in with it say for gods sake at least have a staffer read this! you could go point by point on the governments drug fallicies armed with credible scientific research you could almost shoot down every damn rationelle they claim to have for continueing it. but over and over you hear the same garbage that come right from the party line. least say to the government let the dame states decide for themselves? idaho doesnt want mj in its state np let them deal with it. allow the govt to give more federal money to continue their holy war to any states continuing its policy but dont say to the voters in each state you dont count. that what the fact is now our votes dont count. dc says ok to medical mj how many other states but your vote doesnt count cause the feds will prosecute you to the fullest extent they can to show u exactly that they can. the local cops will say well our hands are tied federal law... beam me up this is insane [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by legalizeit on May 03, 2000 at 09:41:45 PT "Sorry, too bad"... >"This is certainly not an issue we're going to take action on immediately because there is this division." Typical government BS. When restrictive and ludicrous laws are proposed and there is division, the powers that be use lies and lobbying clout to railroad them through. Then when somebody finally gets a brain and suggests that they be repealed, government officials feign powerlessness and say there is nothing they can do.When will this silliness end? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: