[420 Girl]

It was with disappointment that I read Bob Vaillancourt's article of May 8 ( "Pot leads to $100 fine" ) regarding the local high school student who was caught with $10 worth of marijuana at his school.

While I certainly agree with Justice Guy Mahaffy's contention that school is no place for drugs, I would further contend that a courtroom is no place for a teenager found to possess such a small amount of marijuana.

I am troubled by this as a person who pays taxes - I cannot see how the expense of a prosecution is justified in this petty matter.

Surely, the school has mechanisms in place to deal with such an infraction, a quick visit to any local high school's website should yield a code of conduct that states as much.

I'm sure examples are made every day of those who fail to abide by this code of conduct - the schools suspend students regularly for such infractions.

In fact, last year our provincial legislature passed Bill 212, which amended the Education Act. This includes a section that specifically prescribes no more than a 20-day suspension as punishment for possession of small amounts of illegal drugs.

Are we to believe that since last June ( when the bill received Royal Assent ) circumstances have changed so much as to render this prescription inadequate?

I am also troubled by this as a citizen, since some questions are raised for me. If our elected officials have so lately detailed a clear process for dealing with such a situation extralegally, why was the law involved at all?

And even recognizing that the matter did come before the courts, how can we as a community justify imposing a criminal record ( with all the consequences for travel and employment it carries ) on such a young person for such a small offence?

While I must again state clearly that I agree with Justice Mahaffy's contention - recreational/illegal drugs have no place in schools - I must strongly disagree with his decision regarding the necessity of setting such an example.

Especially at such a price, both literally and figuratively.

Jesse Greenwell

Sudbury

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