Pubdate: Tue, 27 May 2003
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2003 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author:  DeNeen L. Brown, Washington Post Foreign Service

CANADA MAY ALLOW SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA

TORONTO, May 27 -- The Canadian government introduced legislation today to
decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, a move that U.S.
officials said could increase the amount of marijuana smuggled across the
border.

Under the bill, possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana, about half an
ounce, would become punishable by fines of up to the equivalent of about
$290 U.S. for adults and $182 for minors. Backed by Prime Minister Jean
Chretien's ruling Liberal Party, the measure has a good chance of passing
because of the party's strong majority in Parliament, political analysts said.

Chretien is proceeding despite firm opposition from the Bush
administration, which views the measure as encouraging drug use and
creating an environment of permissiveness.

"Some of the strongest and most dangerous marijuana on the U.S. market is
coming from Canada," John P. Walters, director of the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy, said in a telephone interview today. "That
production has been rapidly expanding and is largely unchecked."

Canadian officials estimate that $4 billion to $7 billion worth of Canadian
marijuana is sold in the United States each year.

The proposed law is also unpopular with some Canadian groups, including
opposition parties and police organizations.

Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, who introduced the bill in Parliament,
said at a news conference in Ottawa, the capital, that most Canadians
prefer that possession of small amounts of the drug become a "ticketing
offense."

"We are not legalizing marijuana. We have no plans to do so. We are
changing the way we prosecute certain offenses," Cauchon said.

"Cannabis consumption is first and foremost a health matter," he continued.
"It should not result in criminal penalties. We have to ask ourselves as a
society: Does it make sense that a person who makes a bad choice can
receive the lasting burden of a criminal record? . . . The legislation I
introduced today will make sure the punishment fits the crime."

Decriminalization, officials said, would be accompanied by a national
campaign to alert Canadians to the dangers of drug use.

The bill would also increase penalties for people who grow marijuana
illegally. Small amounts may be grown legally by Canadians who need
marijuana for medical reasons.

As the United States moves toward tougher penalties for drug crimes, Canada
appears to be mellowing toward small-time drug use, focusing instead on
"harm reduction" strategies for users.

In some Canadian cities, notably Vancouver, heroin users shoot up in broad
daylight on street corners littered with needles, and some people openly
smoke marijuana in pot cafes. Some provincial officials have proposed
setting up supervised injection sites where heroin and cocaine users could
receive clean needles and inject themselves.

In 2001, Canada passed a law allowing people with serious illnesses to use
marijuana for medical purposes with government approval. The Canadian
Senate this year released a proposal to legalize marijuana and allow it to
be grown by licensed dealers and sold in corner stores to anyone 16 or
older. The proposal was widely criticized in the United States, and U.S.
officials were taken aback when Chretien announced plans last month to move
head with decriminalization.

Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, warned that the border
between the two countries could be tightened as U.S. customs officials
intensified drug searches. That could harm trade.

Cauchon traveled to Washington two weeks ago to meet with his American
counterpart, Attorney General John D. Ashcroft. When he returned, he was
criticized for sharing ideas with U.S. officials before introducing the
meas ure in Parliament. Officials would not discuss what happened at that
meeting, but some said the bill introduced today was a watered-down version
of what was discussed there.

In the interview today, Walters said he was happy that the bill did not
include outright legalization. He also praised plans to launch an education
campaign.

But Walters said the United States remained concerned about the flow of
drugs from Canada. "The indoor [marijuana growing operations] have
exploded," he said. "They are now showing up in Manitoba, Ontario and in
Quebec."

Mike Murphy, a spokesman for Cauchon, said the legislation addressed the
supply issue. "The legislation being proposed will take tough action
against the [growing] operations, which are a concern not only to Canadians
but to the U.S. as well," Murphy said.

Canada's health minister, Anne McLellan, said her agency would implement a
national program to educate Canadians on the harmfulness of drug use, using
mass media campaigns targeted at teenagers. "Let me be very clear, we do
not want Canadians to use marijuana," McLellan said.

Some Canadian critics said officials were sending a contradictory message.

"We should be sending a message to young people that drugs are dangerous,"
said David Griffin, executive officer of the Canadian Police Association,
"but here we have members of Parliament suggesting they are no big deal."
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart