Nonsense in the North

Canada seems to be descending into the same prohibition insanity that afflicts our own government. Just look at the police resources wasted on this bust.

Ten officers, a police dog, several police cruisers and a helicopter were used to arrest 13 high school students at a popular lunchtime hangout near Northumberland Regional High School in Alma.
Police had watched student activity at a convenience store near the school for two weeks prior to Friday’s arrests, said Cpl. Al Affleck. "We didn’t need to get a complaint," he said, explaining that community rumours prompted the investigation.

And what kind of nefarious criminals required this extreme response and gross expenditure of law enforcement resources, in order to "protect" the Canadian public?

By late afternoon, the parade of suspects through the Pictou RCMP detachment included four students under 17, eight 18-year-olds and a 19-year-old.

Don't you think it was a little excessive to send in a SWAT team for kids taking a toke at lunchtime? It's not like there were any complaints of violence related to these kids. In more civilized times, they would have been rounded up by a couple of cops and taken home for their parents to deal with, instead of being saddled with a criminal record for life over teenage experimentation.
[ht Tim Meehan]