cannabisnews.com: Canada Mulls Laxer Laws on Possessing Marijuana Canada Mulls Laxer Laws on Possessing Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on September 30, 2002 at 15:21:34 PT By Randall Palmer Source: Reuters Canada said on Monday it will look to ease its laws on possession of marijuana, a move that could trigger alarm in the United States, where some politicians are already unhappy about Canadian cannabis crossing the border. In a policy paper outlining long-range initiatives, the Liberal government of Prime Minister Jean Chretien said it may decriminalize -- though not legalize -- simple possession of marijuana. "The government will act on the results of parliamentary consultations with Canadians on options for changes in our drug laws, including the possibility of the decriminalization of marijuana possession," it said. The pledge was made in the Speech from the Throne, a document outlining Ottawa's broad political and economic commitments, roughly parallel to the U.S. State of the Union address. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon was careful to say marijuana possession would not be fully legalized because of international obligations Canada has entered into. But he made it clear the government was leaning toward making possession of the drug a misdemeanor that would not carry a criminal record. "It's time to start talking about that as a concern in our society," he told reporters. Cauchon pledged to move quickly once the House of Commons issued a report on drug laws. He noted that a Senate committee report in early September had urged the full legalization of marijuana, with sales permitted on a regulated basis. "It will be almost impossible to move ahead in that direction, in the sense that we're part of some international conventions, and we have to respect our commitment on that side," the minister said. "We can't have legalization. That doesn't mean we can't decriminalize." More than 20,000 of Canada's 30 million people are arrested each year for using marijuana. The Senate report contended that marijuana was not a gateway drug that leads to the use of stronger narcotics. But police said at the time they were appalled by the report. They said that while drug use was increasing among schoolchildren and adolescents, perceived tolerance by community leaders was sending conflicting messages to young people. Marijuana growing is a major illegal industry in the Pacific province of British Columbia, with much of it exported to the United States. Last year, Canada announced it would permit specially licensed seriously ill people to use marijuana to ease their pain. The federal government's Office of Cannabis Medical Access has issued 378 authorizations to possess marijuana for medical purposes and 248 licenses to produce marijuana for personal medical use. But U.S. politicians have expressed unhappiness with the idea of Canada in any way easing its stance on marijuana and some say if Ottawa did relax its rules, this could lead to a clampdown on the countries' long joint frontier. In Toronto on Monday, 60 to 70 people protesters chanted "Free the weed," demanding legalization of marijuana. They want the government to drop charges against the Toronto Compassion Centre, which had distributed marijuana to sick people who did not have licenses. Additional reporting by Rina Chandarana in Toronto.Source: Reuters Author: Randall Palmer Published: September 30, 2002Copyright: 2002 Reuters Related Articles:Drugs: Ottawa Will Consider Decriminalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14304.shtmlCanada's Pot Policy Under Fire from U.S.http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14095.shtmlLegalize Marijuana, Senate Committee Sayshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13989.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by afterburner on October 01, 2002 at 17:04:02 PT: "Grandmother's Land" John Walters and Asa Hutchinson, stay on your own side of the "medicine line." [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by TroutMask on October 01, 2002 at 06:50:31 PT Don't Worry Decrim is NOT far enough. But we just need to get the cat a little further out of the bag. Once it's out, it AINT going back in.-TM [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by John Tyler on September 30, 2002 at 19:33:55 PT Decrim. not enough now. Sorry decrim. isn't going to work now. Last year people would have accepted decrim., but not now. The politicians and ants messed with the issue too much. In decrim. you can keep a little bit, but your supplier is still committing an illegal act. The gov. can backtrack on that anytime they want. That is no longer acceptable. We have tasted the fruit of freedom and nothing else will do. The people demand full relegalization. Cannabis for your health and happiness. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by mayan on September 30, 2002 at 18:15:45 PT Go Canada!!! Here are some stories related & unrelated to the WoD...Judge: Rehab workers don't have to testify about Bush daughter - http://www.news-journalonline.com/2002/Sep/30/FLA99.htmMexican Police Join And Work With Drug Lords: http://rense.com/general29/mex.htmOpium glut in Hamid Karzai’s Afghanistan: http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/09/27/37393.htmlPentagon Plans to Gas US Citizens or, Another Bitch Slap to the Head of Bush Supporters: http://www.almartinraw.com/column73.htmlunrelated to WoD -TIMELINE: Daniel Pearl and The Paymaster of 9/11 - http://globalresearch.ca/articles/KUP209C.html Analysis of WTC's fall may be sealed: http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2002/09/30/wtc_analysis/index.html Protesters stage anti-war rally(UK) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2285861.stmOrganisers Say 400,000 At UK Anti-War Mobilsation: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0209/S00164.htmBush Losing Diplomatic And Political Offensive On Iraq: http://rense.com/general29/bushlosingdiplomatic.htmBush Iraq Evidence Lies: http://www.bushnews.com/iraqevidence.htmFrench media picks up on Bush and the Carlyle group's profits from the war: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.uzine.net/article1260.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3DBioPort%2BMedPointe%2BInc%2BCarlyle%2BGroup%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DGCNN AND ABC MERGE: MINISTRY OF TRUTH COMES NEXT - http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/09/25/37186.htmlMORE NEW YORK AREA ANTI-WAR PROTESTS COMING UP! http://www.votermarch.org/events.htm [ Post Comment ] Post Comment