Pubdate: Mon, 26 May 2003 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2003, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/TorontoSun/home.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457 Author: Bill Rodgers Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) FEDERAL POT LAW DRAWS MOUNTIE SUPPORT OTTAWA -- Canada's top cop is endorsing federal legislation expected as early as tomorrow to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana for personal use. RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli emphasized, however, that any proposed legislation to ease the country's pot laws must be accompanied by "a comprehensive national drug strategy." "What we are talking about here is decriminalizing very small amounts if that's what's in the legislation. We still believe we need the discretion of police officers, in rare cases, to lay criminal charges against possessors of very small amounts," Zaccardelli said in an interview on CTV's Question Period. "But ... we believe that we don't want to make criminals out of persons who have very small amounts of marijuana for their own possession." The federal government had originally planned to table the legislation in the Commons earlier this month but put it on hold just hours after Justice Minister Martin Cauchon met with his U.S. counterpart in Washington. Border Delays U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci warned earlier that much stricter American drug laws could result in delays for Canadians crossing the border. Zaccardelli acknowledged U.S. concerns and said he has had discussions with American law enforcement officials. "This is an issue with them. We have expressed our views to them. But, if we have a comprehensive package, it will not harm the work that we do and the relationship with the Americans, in my view." Zaccardelli, meanwhile, denied allegations by opposition MPs of political interference into Mountie investigations, notably an eight-year probe into former prime minister Brian Mulroney's link to the Airbus purchase. The case was closed last month. "We do an independent investigation. That's what we did in this particular case. We didn't treat it any differently than any other case ...," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Tom