cannabisnews.com: Tags For Tokers?





Tags For Tokers?
Posted by FoM on June 05, 2000 at 06:29:31 PT
By Jason Tchir & Irene Papakonstantinou
Source: Toronto Sun
A ticketing system for people caught using or possessing small amounts of marijuana may be an alternative to current drug laws, Police Chief Julian Fantino said yesterday. "If someone was caught with cannabis, the arresting officer could seize the product and issue a ticket," Fantino told The Toronto Sun. "It would still be illegal -- we're not saying go out and smoke your head off." 
He supports the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs' proposal calling for decriminalization of simple possession of marijuana and its derivatives. If lawmakers got on board, Fantino said, one alternative could be a ticketing system requiring users to pay fines and enter education or treatment programs, instead of going through the time- and money-consuming judicial process. "It's not a novel idea -- we do it with johns, too," he said, referring to john school, where customers of prostitutes can choose to enrol in a class instead of having a conviction on their record. Cop"s Options: But Fantino added that officers would still have the option of charging offenders. Police Services Board chairman Norm Gardner agreed that decriminalizing simple possession of weed would be practical. "It's dumb to put so many resources into charging people for simple possession," Gardner said yesterday. "Still, I don't endorse marijuana use and I'm not saying that it has no harmful effects on users -- studies clearly show it's physically harmful." Fantino also said searching ravers is a pointless exercise. "It's pretty difficult to find minute particles of drugs on people and we're not into strip-searching," he said, adding that he supports most of the other key recommendations of the recent coroner's jury investigating the Ecstasy-related death of university student Allen Ho. Besides suggesting police search party-goers for drugs, the jury also called for a ban on any suggestion of drug use in advertising and to require permits for the properties that host the raves. But Fantino said the battle against drugs will be won with prevention, not frontline enforcement of minor offences. "Treatment and education are important," he said, but he stressed that anyone caught by police with illegal drugs will be prosecuted. "The law is the law -- we're not a social-service agency." Published: Monday, June 5, 2000Copyright © 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership. CannabisNews Articles On Canada:http://alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/search?type=all&query=cannabisnews+canada
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #1 posted by LorenB on June 05, 2000 at 11:47:01 PT:
Tag huh?
I live in Toronto, Canada and recently I was arrested for possession of a "controlled substance". I was going to a friends house, and I parked my car in his building parking lot. After getting out of my car 3 jack booted pigs approached me and demanded to know where I was going and who I was. Eventually they searched me and found some weed.I ended up getting a "ticket", which was a notice to appear in court. There were not a lot of choices here, if I pled guilty and didn't get off, I'd have a criminal record, and wouldn't be able to travel to the US. That would be bad for me at work, as I need to travel, and I'd likely lose my job over it. You know the deal, a life sentence on the installment plan.If I pled not guilty I'd have to deal with a trial and that.  I didn't believe the police had any reason to stop or search me, but I didn't like my chance proving that in court. Plus I could still be found guilty and get a record, which I didn't want in the first place. I found out though I did have a 3rd option. I was allowed to apply for entry into the "Alternative Measures" program, which if you are accepted, lets you do some community service ( or something similar ), and upon completing it, the charges against you are dropped. This program is only available to 1st offenders and you can only do it once.Last year when the cops suggested decriminalization of marijuna, this is what the law makers came up with. So I had to do some community service and then they dropped the charges against me. It worked out in that I avoided getting a criminal record, but it such was a waste of time and money for the police, the court, and myself. On final note, maybe I was in the "weed" court or something, but I didn't see one real criminal there at all during my two appearances. Not one rapist, murder, thief, etc.  99% of the people in court with me were there for possession. That is pretty sad, another "victory" for the war on drugs I suppose. 
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: