cannabisnews.com: Weed Leads to Most Charges! Weed Leads to Most Charges! Posted by FoM on March 10, 1999 at 06:54:16 PT OTTAWA Marijuana is the leading cause of drug-related criminal charges in the 1990s, despite growing ambivalence about whether the weed should be illegal. Marijuana's resurgence as the drug of choice for Canadians and increasing availability of the home-grown stuff has been accompanied by a big jump in pot-related charges over the past decade compared with other drugs. Statistics Canada data released Tuesday indicates the number of offences hasn't changed much since 1983. But marijuana-related offences accounted for 72 per cent in 1997, compared with 58 per cent in 1991. Charges related to heroin and cocaine have dropped over the same period. In fact, half of drug crimes reported by Canadian police in 1997 stemmed from cannabis possession. The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, which produced the figures, says it doesn't know why the number of marijuana offences has grown while others have dropped. But Neil Boyd, a Simon Fraser University criminologist, says the growing popularity of marijuana might partly account for the trend. Others say growing availability of made-in-Canada marijuana might explain it. Either way, the trend is disturbing for those who support legalization of cannabis. "I don't see how in this day and age anybody can seriously argue that prosecuting people for simple possession of marijuana does one iota of good for society," said Eugene Oscapella, a member of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, an Ottawa drug policy think-tank. "It's an unnecessary waste of dollars, (it's) diversion of police resources and the diminution of civil liberties." He charged that it's easier to go after marijuana users than hard drug traffickers. "It's an easy statistic for the cops. It's easy to bust people, easy to detect. Police want statistics to prove what they're doing is working." The Canadian Police Association says forces don't have enough resources to fight drug crime at the source. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is against legalization, but wants Ottawa to look at decriminalization in some circumstances. Barry King, police chief in Brockville, Ont., said officers are getting fired for using discretion when it comes to drugs and Ottawa has to take the lead on giving cops the option of letting minor drug offences go. "That's what they're saying to them: do something legitimate, codify it, give our people the authority and the protection," he said. "We're looking for discretion as much as anybody else." Ottawa isn't currently looking at the issue, but last week, Health Minister Allan Rock announced his department would conduct clinical trials on the medicinal use of marijuana. It's a start, says Umberto Iorfida, president of the National Organization for the Reform or Repeal of Marijuana Laws, based in King City, Ont. However, he added that police, and governments that fund them, could save a bundle of money if they just legalized marijuana use. British Columbia led the pack in 1997 with the highest rate of drug crime, as it has since 1982. Its 1997 rate was 426 drug offences for every 100,000 population, a rate that's almost twice the national rate of 222 offences per 100,000 population. Police forces reported 66,500 offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in 1997. Almost 41,000 youths and adults were charged with a drug offence, with 90 per cent of them being male. Those charged with heroin and cocaine offences had an average age of 30. Those charged with cannabis offences were younger, with an average age of 25. By Nahlah Ayedhttp://www.canoe.com/TopStories/weed_mar9.html Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by denis on March 11, 1999 at 14:46:28 PT give it up The gouvernment just doesn't get it pot is not the evil drug that everyone in legal circle wish it was! Give it up you let booze be legal and its more damaging than pot! What will it take for a million of us to go to our local cop shop on the same day and asked to be jailed. Come on, abuse is the real evil but who am I to say just another hippy who's rip for persecuting, keep the police employed and the politician can write off my vote as a casualty of the business. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: