By: Kevin Penny
Intercamp
February 10, 2011

The Canadian government is currently on a path to pass new legislation that will enact mandatory minimum drug penalties against drug traffickers and organized crime.

Bill S-10, which passed the Senate floor on Dec. 13, will have new provisions to target drug traffickers with weapons, as well as those who traffic to, with or around minors.

The bill incorporated several aspects of a previous bill, Bill C-15, which failed last year due to Prime Minister Harper proroguing parliament.

There has been little coverage of the bill by the media and politicians, but many community groups are opposed to the idea of mandatory minimums.

Caleb Chepesiuk, executive director of the Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policies (CSSDP), finds the bill an ineffective means of dealing with the harm drugs cause.

"We're concerned with the entire bill, but specifically the impact it will have on young people," said Chepesiuk.

In one provision of the bill, if one is caught growing marijuana in a residence they own, they will be punished with a mandatory sentence of six months in jail. But if one is renting the residence, the sentence is moved up to nine months. Since many students are renters, Chepesiuk finds it to be unfair towards the younger generation.

Another part of the bill states if an offender is caught trafficking anywhere minors frequent, it is an automatic penalty of two years in jail. Chepesiuk thinks the wording is too vague.

"Police representatives and other supporters of Bill S-10 have said this could just be a school yard," said Chepesiuk. "But this could also be the walk home, this could be in front of McDonald's."

"The idea that it targets organized criminals quickly falls apart," he added.

The CSSDP is part of a wider group of opposition towards the bill, such as researchers, academics, HIV and AIDS organizations, community service providers and many others.

These groups are trying to move away from drug enforcement policies and into drug prevention for drug addicts as well as drug awareness for the youth.

"It's all about investing in communities instead of investing into the criminal justice system," said Chepesiuk.

"Because that's just a very small part in dealing with drugs. This is something a lot of communities are doing, but they just don't have the resources."

The Justice Minister was not available to comment on the bill and the Conservative Party of Canada's national office did not return phone calls.

This is the 100th year of Canada's war on drugs since the Opium and Drugs Act was enacted in 1911.

Original at at: http://intercamp.ca/2011/02/10/students-rally-for-sensible-policy/