Pubdate: Sun, 11 Sep 2005
Source: CTV (Canada Web)
Copyright: 2005 CTV Inc.
Website: http://www.ctv.ca/
Note: Video link on webpage. (CTV News: Robert Fife on the probable delay 1:53)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: 
http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

POT BILL SHELVED UNTIL AFTER NEXT ELECTION

The Liberal government's controversial bill to decriminalize marijuana will 
be shelved until after the next election, CTV News has learned.

The contentious cannabis bill has been sitting in legislative limbo for 
more than two years.

While the Conservatives oppose the proposed marijuana legislation, the NDP 
and Bloc Quebecois support decriminalization but they want major 
amendments, including an amnesty.

"It's been estimated about 600,000 Canadians have a criminal record as a 
result of personal possession," says NDP MP Libby Davies.

The government now concedes the bill will likely be put off until after the 
next federal election.

Prime Minister Paul Martin has pledged he will call the next election about 
a month after Justice John Gomery releases his final report on the 
sponsorship scandal, which is due to be submitted in mid-December. That 
would mean a mid-winter or early spring election.

"The problem is that it's an abbreviated parliamentary session. It's a 
minority government situation. Parliament is a master of its own 
procedure," Justice Minister Irwin Cotler says.

The bill would impose fines rather than criminal charges for simple 
possession and heavier penalties for grow-ops.

But some police officers want even tougher penalties and marijuana 
activists say the bill would only encourage the police to lay more charges 
for simple possession.

"This bill, I'm just as happy to see it die. It doesn't please anybody," 
says Mike Foster of the National Organization for Marijuana Reform.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is threatening major border delays if the marijuana 
bill ever passed.

"The United States is opposed to the decriminalization of marijuana," U.S. 
Ambassador David Wilkins has said.

Critics say this reason is significant enough to let the bill die.

"So it's not surprising at all that they are now trying to backpedal and 
get away from dealing with this issue because they are afraid of the 
reaction," Davies says.

With so much opposition to the bill, officials say the Liberals are content 
to leave marijuana reform on the backburner, which could mean it will be 
many more years before there is another attempt to decriminalize marijuana.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom