Vancouver Police have responded to suggestions from federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay that looser pot laws may be on the horizon.
MacKay says the Conservatives are looking at whether to allow police officers to issue a ticket to anyone caught with small amounts of pot, rather than laying criminal charges. He says the Justice Department will look into the issue and possibly present a draft bill, although any policy shift would stop short of decriminalizing marijuana.
Canadian police chiefs have long called for laws that would ticket people for pot possession instead of laying charges. MacKay made the comments today following a weekend meeting with Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu.
The Vancouver Police Department said today that they “have taken, and will continue to take, in the face of amended marijuana laws, a priority based approach to the enforcement of those laws.”
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The department says their first priorities are violent drug traffickers; violent gang members trafficking drugs; drug traffickers preying on the vulnerable; meth or other drug operations posing a threat to the public; and traffickers selling cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
Police say “for the most part, medical marijuana dispensaries operating today in Vancouver do not meet these criteria.”
But because they are still illegal, police say they can be shut down as circumstances warrant, such as a threat to public safety.
“The VPD is aware of every medical marijuana dispensary in the city. The VPD has taken enforcement action against several dispensaries in the past and will take action again if there are threats to public safety. Factors considered include proximity to schools and parks, public complaints, safety of the building, evidence of organized crime, or evidence of trafficking to buyers without doctors’ prescriptions,” said the department in a statement released today.
“Vancouver is not a wide open city for the marijuana trade,” said Chief Constable Jim Chu. “We have received legal advice from prosecutors, and we will forward cases that meet the existing charge approval standard to prosecutors. Because of complexities in the law, we will continue to consult with prosecutors on current Charter of Rights challenges and case law from the courts. Anyone who opens an illegal business, to sell an illegal product, is taking a risk that they could be charged criminally.”
Currently, under the Criminal Code, anyone convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana can be jailed for up to five years, while first-time offenders can face fines up to $1,000 or six months in jail.
– with files from the Canadian Press
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