Winnipeg Free Press By: James Turner Posted: 12:29 PM
Police should have the option of writing tickets to penalize pot
users caught with less than 30 grams of the drug, the Canadian
Association of Chiefs of Police said at a news conference in Winnipeg
Tuesday morning. Allowing police officers the discretion
to issue tickets for simple possession of cannabis would cut down on
policing and court costs in dealing with the crime, and better reflect
"community standards" that exist today regarding use of the drug, CACP
President Jim Chu, also the Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police
Department, said. Hundreds of CACP delegates from across
Canada are meeting in Winnipeg this week and voting on resolutions they
believe reflect progressive change for Canadian law-enforcement. "The CACP is not in support of decriminalization or legalization of cannabis in Canada," Chu said. "It must be recognized, however, that
under the current legislation the only enforcement option for police,
when confronted with simple possession of cannabis, is to either turn a
blind eye or lay charges." Of the delegates who voted, only one came out against the resolution, Chu said. The total number of votes was not available. The CACP now plans to
enter into discussions with the federal government, as any change to the
way simple pot possession is enforced will require changes to the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The CACP says the ticket-enforcement regime fall under a section of the federal Contraventions Act. CACP Drug Abuse Committee Chair Chief
Mark Mander said the issue is a "timely" one given recent debate over
marijuana and its criminalization. He described the amount of time and
money spent on pushing minor pot-possession cases through the courts as a
"significant burden" on the justice system. "A ticket is quick," said Chu.
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