Pubdate: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Copyright: 2004 The Ottawa Citizen Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Author: Ewan Perrott Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04.n1653.a01.html DON'T STALL POT LAW Re: Big-business lobby urges delay in easing marijuana laws, Nov. 22. The federal government's proposal to decriminalize marijuana would benefit many Canadians. Removing criminal penalties for possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana and hashish would help many Canadians avoid the stigma of a criminal record. But with the Canadian Council of Chief Executives trying to delay passage of this bill, some Canadians are going to suffer from fines or jail terms because of minor possession. Research into the effects that marijuana use has on employee performance would add insight into the issue, but this is not a useful enough reason to delay decriminalization. Most people understand that going to work while impaired is unsafe and leads to poor workmanship. More effort should be spent on decriminalizing marijuana and less on researching how it affects the economy. Ewan Perrott, 17, Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin