Pubdate: Fri, 19 Dec 2003
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2003 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Sean Gordon

MARIJUANA BILL WILL BE BACK, BUT STRONGER

Martin Favours Higher Fines Than Chretien's Version

Prime Minister Paul Martin has pledged to revive the government's moribund 
marijuana legislation early in the new year, but it may bear only a passing 
resemblance to the bill tabled by the Chretien government this fall.

The new bill will still impose fines instead of criminal convictions for 
simple possession, but it's expected to feature stiffer penalties for 
growers and repeat offenders. Mr. Martin said he also favours higher fines 
for possession and stricter limits on the maximum permitted amounts.

"I think one's got to take a look at the fines, I think that you have to 
take a look at the quantities and I think that there has to be a larger 
effort against the grow-ops and those who distribute it," Mr. Martin said 
before a meeting with Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams on Parliament 
Hill yesterday.

Canadian Alliance MP Randy White, a strident critic of the legislation, 
said he is encouraged by Mr. Martin's stance.

"It sounds like he's got a better perspective than the previous prime 
minister and the hacks he installed on the parliamentary committee to study 
this bill," said Mr. White, adding he'll ask for a meeting with Mr. Martin 
to emphasize the importance of taking a non-partisan approach to the 
legislation.

A national survey published by Health Canada in October showed that 
marijuana consumption is at a 25-year high among teenagers; 54 per cent of 
15-to 19-year-olds admitted to smoking it more than once.

When asked about that study and others, Mr. Martin replied: "From a health 
standpoint, any doctor will tell you it's not the best thing to do, far 
from it... but it doesn't help things to give a criminal record to a young 
person who is caught with minimal amounts."

Mr. Martin was asked in one interview yesterday whether he had ever used 
marijuana himself. Yes, he admitted to CHUM radio, but though he never 
inhaled, he sure swallowed.

"I've never smoked. But there was a time Sheila made some brownies and I 
must say they had a strange taste," Mr. Martin deadpanned.

Marijuana legalization supporters called Mr. Martin's wish to stiffen the 
requirements of the proposed law "a public hazard" and said it won't solve 
the problems it seeks to address.

"The law is already too tough ... all this will do is target young people 
and make them criminals by giving them fines they can't possibly afford to 
pay. It does nothing to take drugs out of schools," said Hugo St. Onge, 
leader of the Montreal-based Bloc Pot, a provincial affiliate of the 
federal Marijuana party.

The original bill to decriminalize marijuana possession had made it to the 
committee stage, but died on the order paper following former prime 
minister Jean Chretien's decision to prorogue the House of Commons before 
last month's Liberal leadership convention.

The legislative proposal would have allowed people to possess up to 15 
grams of marijuana.

A spokesman for Alliance caucus leader Stephen Harper accused Mr. Martin of 
"playing with political optics" by promising to bring back the marijuana bill.

"Mr. Martin is looking to bring forward an inconsequential bill to be 
defeated in the House of Commons so he can use it as a symbol of how he's 
slain the democratic deficit. If he was really sincere about eliminating 
the democratic deficit, he would bring in a bill that people really care 
about and risk having it defeated," said Jim Armour.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman