Pubdate: Sat, 14 Aug 2010
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2010 Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.edmontonsun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Jodie Emery
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n648/a11.html
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by Newshawk

MODIFIED DEFINITION OF "SERIOUS CRIME"

Dave Breakenridge writes "for someone to go to jail, people need to
report the crime, a suspect has to be arrested, tried and convicted."

Not quite, at least not with the modified definition of "serious
crime" announced by the Conservative government. Under the changes,
any amount of cannabis grown or sold is now a "serious crime," which
allows the police to use their "organized crime tool box," without
court permission, and asset forfeiture without a conviction. Cops
won't need more people reporting crimes. They can simply spy on anyone
they believe to be growing or selling any amount of pot, arrest them,
seize their property, then deny them bail ... all without due process
normally applied to regular citizens.

So don't be mystified about who will fill those new prison cells;
it'll be your friends and family who use even a little bit of
cannabis on weekends, because they are now guilty of a "serious
crime."

Jodie Emery

(It's just ridiculous. The war on drugs is a dangerous failure.)
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt