cannabisnews.com: Police Drifting Away from Hard Line On Drug





Police Drifting Away from Hard Line On Drug
Posted by FoM on June 01, 2001 at 06:21:41 PT
By Janice Tibbetts, The Ottawa Citizen
Source: Ottawa Citizen
Canadian police officers, who publicly oppose decriminalizing possession of marijuana, are quietly backing away from pursuing charges despite catching a growing number of people with the drug. A statistical portrait of the 1990s shows that three times as many Canadians avoided the justice system for marijuana possession in 1999 than in 1989, prompting an Ottawa criminologist to assert that there is a "de facto drift toward decriminalization" of cannabis. 
"My guess is that 10 years from now it will be decriminalized or become some sort of provincial offence," said the University of Ottawa's Julian Roberts. "I think we're drifting in that direction. There are a number of straws in the wind." With a debate on decriminalization gathering steam, the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics provided figures this week after the Canadian Police Association told a Senate committee on illicit drugs that marijuana possession should remain a criminal offence. The statistics indicate there is a patchwork of police action across the country, where charges for marijuana possession depend largely on where you live, with the difference sometimes being a matter of a few kilometres. Statistics for 1999, the last year in which figures are available, show that police reported almost 40,000 cases of catching Canadians with marijuana, but they did not pursue criminal charges in 13,500 cases, roughly 34 per cent of the total. A decade earlier, police caught 29,000 people with marijuana and pressed charged in all but 4,700 cases, or 16 per cent. Police in British Columbia were the most likely to turn a blind eye to marijuana possession, pursing charges in only 17 per cent of cases in 1999, followed by Quebec, in which 55 per cent of people caught with cannabis ended up in court. On the other end of the spectrum, Ontarians caught with the drug were charged 71 per cent of the time and Albertans in 67 per cent of cases. Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan were the most likely to pursue charges, in 78 per cent and 76 per cent of cases respectively. Even within provinces, the rate of charges varies between municipalities. "This has always been a problem, and now it's a greater problem than it has been, the uneven application of the law," said Neil Boyd, a criminologist at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. "Police officers have grown up with marijuana, most police officers prior to joining the force have used marijuana, they're aware of the debate in society, many are not interested in enforcing criminal prohibitions." The mellowing of the police force is due, in part, to changes in the justice system in 1997 that led to alternative measures rather than court, including sending people to educational courses or other diversion programs, says a report on drugs compiled by the centre for justice statistics. David Griffin, executive director of the Canadian Police Association, acknowledged that busy police officers might not think it's worth their time to charge someone caught with "a small baggie of marijuana with five or 10 grams." He described marijuana possession as a "low priority" for police, who might react to catching someone with a joint by "just scrubbing it into the ground." Possession of cannabis is near the bottom of the list of the federal government's crime statistics, which are ranked in order of police priority. The 30,000-member organization is at odds with both the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs and the RCMP, which support decriminalization of small amounts, saying it should warrant a fine akin to a parking ticket rather than a criminal record. Both Mr. Boyd and Mr. Roberts say it's not fair that an Ottawa resident, for instance, should be saddled with a criminal record for running into a police officer while carrying drugs, while a Vancouverite in the same situation would be more likely to go free. Fines of about $200 remain the most common punishment for drug possession, the statistics show, although more than 1,000 Canadians annually are still jailed for simple possession. Mr. Boyd wants the federal government to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis. His sentiment, backed by several academics and politicians, is to be studied by a House of Commons committee struck two weeks ago to examine illicit drugs. A recent survey conducted by University of Lethbridge sociologist Reg Bibby indicated about half said they would support legalization, compared to only one-quarter about 25 years ago. Note: Fewer and fewer marijuana users charged, despite official call for strict prohibition.Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)Author: Janice Tibbetts, The Ottawa CitizenPublished: June 1, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Ottawa CitizenContact: letters thecitizen.southam.ca Website: http://www.ottawacitizen.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmPolice Officers Oppose Easing Marijuana Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9887.shtmlCannabisNews Articles - Canadahttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=canada
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Comment #1 posted by ras james rsifwh on June 01, 2001 at 06:54:26 PT
The Great Sign
"The Tree of life shall bear fruit on both sides of the street each month of the year."...Book or Revelation 22:1&2. Marijuana's fruit is the most nutritious fruit in the world. Last year, the Marijuana Plant bore fruit on both sides of American streets each month of the year in private growrooms....the only plant in the history of man to ever do this.This undisputed fact now makes Marijuana the Most Sacred Sacrament in the world...for the Son' Prayer to the Father has been answered...."Thy Kingdom Come on Earth as it is in Heaven."  People realize the City of the Allmighty is here on Earth Now. The Gates of Zion are open...enter with I-mind.
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