Canada’s War on Pot Just Got Weirder

[flamingfingers]

$8,750 cost to B.C. taxpayers for each pot conviction — most for simple possession

By Gordon McIntyre, The Province February 22, 2013 1:04 PM

VANCOUVER — It costs B.C. taxpayers about $8,750 per pot conviction, the overwhelming amount of which is for simple possession, according to a new study.

And only about seven per cent of all police reports of marijuana possession wind up in convictions.

About a quarter of all police reports of marijuana possession in B.C. in 2011 led to charges, according to a study by Simon Fraser University criminology professor Neil Boyd. And about a third of those ended in convictions.

Commissioned by Sensible B.C., a campaign to decriminalize cannabis in the province, the study said pot usage in B.C. is pretty well in line with other provinces — seven per cent of British Columbians used marijuana in the past week, compared to a national average of six per cent.

But the number of marijuana offences reported by police in B.C. is nearly double the national average.

“The rate of marijuana use in B.C. is fairly close to that in other provinces,” Boyd said.

“However, the rate of marijuana offences reported by the police in B.C. is far higher than that of any other province.

“RCMP have been laying more possession charges across Canada since 2005, with a 30-per-cent increase since that time.

“But in B.C. the increase has been the greatest of the provinces, with charges for marijuana possession more than doubling here in six years.”

And, Boyd pointed out, it is not the drug gangs paying the consequences: 91 per cent of all cleared cannabis offences are for possession, he said.

The study did not include the province’s largest city, where possession charges have declined as a direct result of Vancouver Police Department policy, Boyd said.

“The vast majority of British Columbians don’t think possession of marijuana should be a criminal offence, but the RCMP here are on their own crusade, blowing ever-increasing amounts of taxpayers’ money on their failed war against pot smokers,” said Dana Larsen, director of Sensible B.C.

The decriminalize-cannabis campaign is lobbying for a referendum that promotes what it calls the Sensible Policing Act.
“Passing this law would save B.C. taxpayers at least $10.5 million a year and let the RCMP focus their resources on real crimes,” Larsen said.

STUDY NUMBERS
• 16,578 police reports of marijuana possession in B.C. (excluding Vancouver) in 2011
• 3,774 charges laid
• 1,200 convictions
• Cost of at least $10.5 million

And THAT is a LOT of money!

[steven lloyd]

As a collective society it is unbelievable what slow learners we are. We don't learn from mistakes or failed efforts. We repeat them. We throw more money at repeating the same failed approach and when it fails again we throw even more resources into repeating the same strategy. Hey, every political party has it's own money tree it seems.

[Graham Adder]

It's funny in a "bang your head against the wall because it sure feels good when you stop" kind of way.
We all see that we repeat history time and time again.
We repeat our past mistakes to the point of digging them up thousands of years later only to realize there's a "deja vu" effect in there.
It's something we all have heard...we all recognize...we all speak about the stupidity behind it...then we go out and repeat it again.
Rinse, lather, repeat.

[Graphite]

People want to be protected Not spied on every move they make.

Too late. Welcome to reality.

[Graphite]

If everyone just quit smoking pot we all wouldn't have to go through this. It is simple really.

[Captain Awesome]

If everyone just quit smoking pot we all wouldn't have to go through this. It is simple really.

Yup.

If everybody was well behaved, we wouldn't need police in the first place.

[Graphite]

I know, right!

[kibbs]

The problem with chronics a is that they are not a real motivated group notice the 6 at the price of pot protest.We all know the law needs to be changed but instead of organizing you sit around get baked and rant.
March for Mark ,Instead of smoking out a park on April 20th have a parade .Put the bong down long enough to make statement without saying "cause like" 20 times.
There are so many organizations,its become like another first nations.Pick a policy and remember it.
http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/87 ... MPs-office

[Graham Adder]

the only time I'm well behaved...is when I'm high.

[Fancy]

the only time I'm well behaved...is when I'm high.

then i wouldn't have a problem (obviously)

But this thread is more about those that have been a problem

[Jonrox]

Also, you are talking about ski theft? Will the RCMP be checking ownwrship receipts at the chalet snd in line for the chairlifts?

...or writing up reports about stolen skiis 2 hours after hill closing?

That is of course, ignoring the offensive smell mandate.

I'm talking about their presence acting as a deterrent to any illegal activity occurring at Canada's ski hills. For some reason, many people on this thread think marijuana possession is the only illegal activity occurring at the hills.

So we're clear, I'm in favour of marijuana legalization. But I'm not in favour of high or drunk people using the hills. At the speeds a lot of people ride at and the abundance of kids and families on the hill, the combination of the two is dangerous. Anything that dulls the reflexes or judgment skills of a skier or boarder can be extremely dangerous.

I drink, sometimes too much, but I would never get drunk and ride. But if I did, I would be completely in favour of me being arrested by a volunteer RCMP officer, having my pass stripped by the hill, and having to pay the $8750 it costs taxpayers to prosecute me.

[Jonrox]

So you feel busting people for simple possesion is a good investment. Explain to the forum how effective that is to Canadian tax payers. Who do we save fron the grips of drug addiction, by ruining their lives with a criminal record?

Explain to the forum how having high (and drunk) riders on the ski hills is a safe environment. Is it better to have their lives ruined with a criminal record or to have several lives ruined by seriously injuring somebody else (or themselves) by being careless on the hill?

I encourage you to actually visit a ski hill and see the speed and terrain being ridden and then try to tell me it isn't dangerous to have one's senses and skills dulled by drugs or alcohol.

[zzontar]

Explain to the forum how having high (and drunk) riders on the ski hills is a safe environment. Is it better to have their lives ruined with a criminal record or to have several lives ruined by seriously injuring somebody else (or themselves) by being careless on the hill?

I encourage you to actually visit a ski hill and see the speed and terrain being ridden and then try to tell me it isn't dangerous to have one's senses and skills dulled by drugs or alcohol.

Comparing the two is almost pointless as with pot you can only get so high, and your reflexes might slow a bit to the point of being a slightly-worse skier, as well you might have an increased appetite. If you get too drunk you lose eye-hand coordination, might not even be able to stand, will have impaired or double vision, slurred speech, and possibly vomiting. Is it legal to do your drinking beforehand and go skiing?

[SurplusElect]

I encourage you to actually visit a ski hill and see the speed and terrain being ridden and then try to tell me it isn't dangerous to have one's senses and skills dulled by drugs or alcohol.

Should we also be requiring skiers to keep sleep logs and medication journals? Impairment is impairment, right?

Regardless, until someone posts some injury reports and statistics actually showing how dangerous it is it's a imaginary problem.

Tourists are complaining about smells.

[Fancy]

And theft.

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/546042 ... a-resorts/

Campbell said complaints on the hill typically involve drug use or alcohol consumption outside of designated areas as well reckless behaviour that endangers others.

Officers did seize an unspecified quantity of drugs on their first patrol day at Lake Louise, but since then most other infractions have been relatively minor, Campbell said.

I can see why people complain about the smoke - I can't stand the smell either.

http://www.canmoreleader.com/2013/02/08 ... ake-louise