cannabisnews.com: Ottawa Set To Ease Pot Laws





Ottawa Set To Ease Pot Laws
Posted by CN Staff on December 10, 2002 at 07:42:27 PT
By Kim Lunman
Source: Globe and Mail 
The Liberal government is preparing to move ahead in the new year with legislation to decriminalize marijuana, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said yesterday. "If we're talking about that question of decriminalizing marijuana, we may move ahead quickly as a government," he said. Changes will likely be introduced "some time in the new year," Mr. Cauchon said, but he would not be much more specific about when. "I don't like to give you a date or a time frame, but let's say the beginning of next year, the four first months of next year," he said.
The government signalled in October's Throne Speech that it would move toward decriminalization. Mr. Cauchon had hinted previously that he would consider doing so.He made his remarks yesterday after a special parliamentary committee issued a report on the non-medical use of drugs that recommended establishing safe injection sites for heroin addicts. The all-party committee of MPs, which has studied drug abuse over the past 18 months, will release its findings on marijuana in a separate report Thursday.Mr. Cauchon has said in the past that he would consider decriminalizing marijuana possession by removing it from the Criminal Code and making it an offence punishable with a fine instead of a criminal record.Sources told The Canadian Press yesterday that the report will adopt that position and also recommend letting Canadians grow pot for personal use.In September, a Senate committee on illegal drugs went further than that, recommending legalizing marijuana for people 16 and older. John Walters, the U.S. administration's drug czar, criticized that report, and Canadian government officials acknowledged privately that the prospect of decriminalization will rile the U.S. government, which has long waged war against illegal drugs.Under the changes Mr. Cauchon is considering, an individual found with marijuana would get a warning under the Civil Code, something like a traffic ticket, instead of facing criminal charges.Similar measures are expected to become law next year in Britain.Canadian Alliance MP Randy White, vice-chairman of the parliamentary committee, said he would not oppose decriminalization for personal consumption if the amount of marijuana was five grams or less."It has to do with criminal convictions for being caught smoking a joint," Mr. White said. "Far too many people are smoking it."Alliance MP Keith Martin has introduced a private member's bill recommending decriminalization of marijuana possession for people found with 100 grams or less."We know the status quo is a failure," he said. "The war on drugs has been a failure."Dr. Martin, a Victoria physician, said he believes consumption of marijuana would decrease if it were decriminalized.The maximum amount at which possession would be decriminalized is expected to be a topic of debate.About 600,000 Canadians have criminal records for possession of marijuana, and about 1.5 million people, or 5 per cent of the population, smoke it recreationally, the Canadian Medical Association says.Canada made pot illegal in 1923 and spends about $1.3-billion a year in marijuana-related police and prosecution costs.When asked about the suggestion in yesterday's report that the government back pilot projects for safe injection sites for drug users in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, Mr. Cauchon said: "Just give me the time to read the report, see the recommendations, and as Justice Minister, I'll get back to you."The report called for supervised injection sites for heroin users and for making methadone available to addicted prison inmates."We must have a significant shift in the way we think about substance abuse," said Liberal MP Paddy Torsney of Burlington, Ont., chairwoman of the Commons committee. "There's a huge body of evidence that tells us doing the same things we've been doing will have the same results. Those results are unacceptable."She refused to say whether the committee would back the Senate report's recommendation to legalize marijuana.The Commons committee's report, which had 39 recommendations, also proposed the appointment of a Canadian drug commissioner, increased funds for the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and treatment programs for fetal alcohol syndrome."We're not suggesting anybody be soft on drugs," Ms. Torsney said. "We're suggesting that people deal with the health issues and societal issues that are causing concerns across this country. And we need to deal with those issues aggressively."The recommendation to try safe injection sites, decried as "shooting galleries" by opponents, also brought criticism from police and opposition MPs.Supervised sites, already established in some European countries, are controlled health-care settings where drug users can inject themselves using sterile equipment under the supervision of medical personnel. Proponents say it leads to rehabilitation and prevents overdose deaths.Mr. White, vice-chairman of the committee, said there's no evidence the sites work."They have been shown to be an addict magnet," he said. "They don't get people off the drugs. That's why I call harm reduction harm extension.""Our concern is that we're sliding down a slippery slope to the point where it won't be long that we'll be getting calls for dispensing drugs in those sites as well," said David Griffin, executive officer of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.The report also recommended that Correctional Service Canada develop a three-year plan to reduce "substantially the flow of illicit drugs into prison." In addition, it urged improved access to rehabilitation programs and methadone treatment for heroin users and setting up two pilot detoxification prisons.Note: Cauchon suggests he'll move next year on plans to decriminalize marijuana. Canada's Drug Strategy Report:  http://www.parl.gc.ca/InfoComDoc/37/2/SNUD/Studies/Reports/snudrp01/08-toc-e.htm Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)Author: Kim LunmanPublished: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A1Copyright: 2002 The Globe and Mail CompanyContact: letters globeandmail.caWebsite: http://www.globeandmail.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmWe're Going To Pot! - Edmonton Sunhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14933.shtmlCauchon Says Pot Could Be Decriminalized Soonhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14931.shtmlDecriminalizing Pot Could Come Early in New Year http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14929.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on December 10, 2002 at 11:15:42 PT
Thanks cltrldmg 
Here are a few articles I did a search and found. I know that the UK didn't go far enough because they aren't allowing anyone to grow their own. Hopefully Canada sees this problem and will recommend that a person should be allowed a small garden.Brits' New Pot Law Sensible: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13393.shtml David Blunkett's Speech on Cannabis: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13355.shtmlCannabis Cleared - With a Warning: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12245.shtmlAt Last, a Statement of The Obvious About Cannabis: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12238.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by cltrldmg on December 10, 2002 at 10:59:18 PT
Why Britain is looks to DEAland for hope.
Originally the British government wanted to reduce penalties for cannabis by 'reclassification', but because there was such a negative reaction, they changed that to say that the police would be able to increase penalties as they wished but that they'd have to set 'guidelines' so people would have an idea in which circumstances they could smoke without the fear of going to jail.Now they've just scrapped that so basically what happens if you're caught is completely random and up to the police officer you're dealing with. In some places it'll be like decriminalization, in others or if a scapegoat is needed you'll get the maximum sentence - which is now 14 years in theory! That explain it?
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on December 10, 2002 at 10:46:22 PT
cltrldmg
Here's an article I found. I don't understand what it means though.http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$NIYNQWLO0QL0PQFIQMFCFFOAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2002/12/08/ucanna.xml&sSheet=/portal/2002/12/08/ixport.html
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Comment #4 posted by cltrldmg on December 10, 2002 at 10:22:55 PT
Good for them...
...meanwhile, drug reform in the UK has been quietly killed. I never really thought anything would happen, but it is still quite disappointing. Especially when you think it happened two days ago but the story has only appeared in a single newspaper."UK: Police chiefs drop 'three strikes' cannabis policy "
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=5858
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=5857According to the Guardian the 'drugs revolution' was supposed to have happened 9 months ago. Then they introduce 'aggravating circumstances'. Soon after that penalties for supply (anything more than 3 grams) are doubled, heroin treatment is forgotten and the police start to introduce 'new guidelines'. In the end all that's really changed is that penalties have doubled and Britain is remains the most repressive nation in Europe.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 10, 2002 at 09:33:59 PT
Related Article
One Toke Over Linehttp://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-12-10-0005.html
Canadian Links
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on December 10, 2002 at 08:58:50 PT
Just a Note
Hi Everyone,I don't want to miss any of the news if possible from Canada on reforming Cannabis laws but many of them are snipped sources so here is a link to more articles that I can't post very easily.http://www.canada.com/search/results.aspx?keywords=marijuana
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on December 10, 2002 at 08:53:45 PT
News Article from Snipped Source
Marijuana Law To Be LoosenedJustice Minister prepares to decriminalize; Alliance expects legal limit of 40-plus joints.http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?id=F52FEFCF-AF1E-4204-9E2B-AB2A54A20E0F
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