cannabisnews.com: Pot Verdict Raises U.S. Hackles





Pot Verdict Raises U.S. Hackles
Posted by CN Staff on September 16, 2003 at 12:29:54 PT
By CBC News Online Staff
Source: CBC
Vancouver -- The U.S. Consul-General in Vancouver says decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana could lead to more vehicle searches and longer line-ups at the Canada-U.S. border. Last Friday, a New Westminster Provincial Court judge ruled there is no law against the simple possession of marijuana. Judge Patrick Chen's decision is based on a Court of Appeal ruling in Ontario that declared the prohibition on simple possession unconstitutional. 
Consul-General Luis Arreaga the U.S. doesn't want to interfere with the Canadian court system, but warns that the ruling could lead to tougher enforcement. "Our customs officials are certainly not going to just sit. They're going to be perhaps paying more attention to it. "They're going to pay close attention to the people travelling, looking at the patterns," he says. "And it could result in some waits at the border." Arreaga made his comments at a Vancouver Police news conference Tuesday morning. Minimal impact from pot ruling: police The Vancouver Police Vice/Drug Section has already said nothing much will change as a result of the court decision. Speaking with Rick Cluff on CBC Radio's The Early Edition, Insp. Roly Woods says police will continue to uphold the law, as Crown counsel considers an appeal of the ruling, "In the interim, the plan is just to argue that this particular case – Regina versus Masse – is not binding on other judges," he says. "And we're going to rely on other cases that are contrary to Judge Chen's decision." However, Woods also says Vancouver Police rarely bust people for simple possession anymore. He says the only time people get charged with possession is when they are caught carrying out other crimes. Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Published: September 16, 2003Copyright: 2003 CBCContact: letters cbc.ca Website: http://www.cbc.ca/Related Articles & Web Site:Text of Judge Chen's Decision http://freedomtoexhale.com/legalbc.htmB.C.'s Marijuana Law Doesn't Exist, Judge Ruleshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17313.shtmlMarijuana Laws Struck Down in British Columbia http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17293.shtmlMarijuana Legal in Ontario http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16326.shtmlNo Laws Ban Possession of Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16321.shtml 
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Comment #14 posted by kaptinemo on September 17, 2003 at 06:18:29 PT:
OSam, this, I believe, is why Marc Emery is doing
what he's doing. And some police jurisdictions - and civil government's responsible for their behavior - are sincerely going to wish they hadn't been so arrogant.No laws means no laws against possession. No laws against distribution. No laws against growing. And no laws to support police actions against the aforementioned activities. These fools are of the false impression that the Canadian federal government, like the US one, will come to their aid. But the laws have been effectively made null and void, *nation-wide*. Given that the Canuck governments, Provincial and Federal, are even more strapped financially than the US is, the Canuck governments have been given a quiet means of extricating themselves from spending funds they would much rather allocate for more useful purposes, like their Healthcare organizations. The police engaging in this now illegal activity of taking people's cannabis from them and falsely arresting them for a 'crime' that no longer exists will themselves be in the docket shortly.And I'm sure they will find a very warm welcome when they are remanded into custody and sent to the very prisons that many of their victims languish in.What comes around, goes around. And it's coming faster and faster, now.
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Comment #13 posted by OverwhelmSam on September 17, 2003 at 05:02:09 PT:
Civil Suit For Damages
If a law enforcement agency arrests someone, knowing that the offense is no longer illegal, they can be sued for punative damgages. A few multi-million dollar judgments will get them to change their policies.Who's in charge anyway, the police and prosecutors, or the people?
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Comment #12 posted by goneposthole on September 16, 2003 at 21:57:18 PT
Here in East Berlin (USA)
All along the 49th parallel Berlin Wall we can see West Berlin (Canada).The DEA Stasi need new jobs. The consequences of their actions will demand it. Joyous East Berliners were the dancing in the streets of West Berlin in November of 1989. All will come to he who waits.
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Comment #11 posted by WolfgangWylde on September 16, 2003 at 18:22:12 PT
They can't screw with the border...
...for two reasons: 1) NAFTA - border traffic flow is set by the treaty; 2) The U.S. economy is in the dumper, and conflicts with our large economic partner to the North will send it even lower and then, voila!, no second term for George W. Bush, and the Bushlet ain't gonna risk that.
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Comment #10 posted by afterburner on September 16, 2003 at 17:56:36 PT:
Now Who's Cherry-Picking? 
"In the interim, the plan is just to argue that this particular case – Regina versus Masse – is not binding on other judges," [Insp. Roly Woods] says. "And we're going to rely on other cases that are contrary to Judge Chen's decision." 
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Comment #9 posted by SoberStoner on September 16, 2003 at 17:23:27 PT
Terminal Stupidity
The Vancouver Police Vice/Drug Section has already said nothing much will change as a result of the court decision.Speaking with Rick Cluff on CBC Radio's The Early Edition, Insp. Roly Woods says police will continue to uphold the law, as Crown counsel considers an appeal of the ruling.What part of 'no offense known to law' does this jackass not understand?? He isn't upholding the law, he's now making laws...Laws that have already been declared unconstitutional. Someone should arrest him for breaking a law that doesnt exist and see how he likes living in a cage.
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Comment #8 posted by lag on September 16, 2003 at 17:21:14 PT
NO NOT LONGER WAITS!!! *jumps out a window*
But seriously folks, I'm still here.The US is the most immature 1st world country(is that how we are labeled, not sure) in existence. We whine left and right, and yet I am the one that is supposed to feel inferior because I want to smoke some good greens.Kaptinemo said it perfectly: "This is just more proof that it's the US Federal Government, not cannabists, who have a hard time with reality." Why am I being made out as the stupid, or weak one here...Ashcroft is a great example of the face of the US, a smug little brat. No wonder we are where we are today.
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Comment #7 posted by jvthc on September 16, 2003 at 15:30:50 PT:
....but....
I've heard this until it makes me laugh.Walter's once said, "I know Canada is a soveriegn nation, but...."Here we see, "We don't want to interfere with the Canadian Court, but...."Crafty way to encase a lie, eh? We don't want to, but we can't stop ourselves so we're going to try anyway!This is one American that hopes the soveriengty of Canada, and the authority of her courts, overpowers the American "butt" - uh - but...
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 16, 2003 at 14:36:29 PT
News Brief -- Associated Press
BC Court Decriminalizes Pot
 
 
September 16, 2003 VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- A British Columbia Provincial Court ruling has decriminalized possession of marijuana in the province. Follows similar rulings in Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the court held Monday that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana." It relies on a July 2000 decision in which an Ontario Court of Appeal judge declared the law prohibiting simple possession to be constitutionally invalid because there was no exemption for medical use. The defendant was an epileptic who said he needed cannabis to control life-threatening seizures. Ottawa, given a year to deal with the issue, came up with the Medical Marijuana Access Regulations, but the Ontario and British Columbia courts have said that was inadequate because those rules don't have the force of law and can be amended without debate. As a result, the law prohibiting possession was held to have been stricken from the books by the ruling in the Ontario case.Copyright: 2003 by The Associated Press
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Comment #5 posted by OverwhelmSam on September 16, 2003 at 13:41:57 PT:
Longer Wait Times At The Border?
Big deal. So what.
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Comment #4 posted by cloud7 on September 16, 2003 at 13:32:14 PT
That's it..
Just let the US keep pushing Canada until they decide theyve had enough of our BS and fully legalize it completely. It will happen - the US keeps it up and we'll all get what we want much sooner.
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Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on September 16, 2003 at 13:04:28 PT:
Go ahead and try it, fool
Does the US want to have to spend money paying all manner of WTO fines for playing stupid games? When it has to go begging to the world to help clean up the Iraq mess? Does the US government want to shell out even more unemployment bennies for those who have been made jobless by the proposed trade sanctions? When it can't even fund its' present levels of unemployed, caused by Republican mishandling of the economy? Do the Republicans want to find out how FAST the electorate in many States along the border can become vengefully Democrat within weeks of them being hurt by idiotic trade restrictions?Canada still has her industries and can export goods to the rest of the planet; can the US say the same? What will we export? MBA's? Remember the economy is in the toilet, despite all those fancy degrees. Who helped put it there? Who'll want to import *that*?The US is in no position to pull a stunt like this, and the reigning Republicans cannot afford even more bad news before an election year.Go ahead antis: you shot your mouth off, and it was pointed at your feet. Want to have another go?This is just more proof that it's the US Federal Government, not cannabists, who have a hard time with reality.
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Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on September 16, 2003 at 12:48:05 PT
US threat
The threat being it could lead to more vehicle searches This is one of the reasons why the US is considered a bully.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 16, 2003 at 12:30:43 PT
Audio Link
INTERVIEW: The Early Edition's Rick Cluff speaks with Insp. Roly Woods. (Runs 5:11) http://vancouver.cbc.ca/clips/Vancouver/ram-audio/bc_cop030916.ram
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