cannabisnews.com: Committee To Recommend 30-Gram Pot Limit





Committee To Recommend 30-Gram Pot Limit
Posted by CN Staff on December 11, 2002 at 17:11:21 PT
By The Canadian Press
Source: Globe and Mail 
Ottawa — Possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana should not saddle someone with a criminal record, a Commons committee will recommend Thursday. But it will not support an amnesty for people with records for past possession convictions.The report from the Special Parliamentary Committee on the Non-Medicinal Use of Drugs won't propose that pot be legalized. Rather, it will recommend that small amounts be sanctioned with something other than the full weight of the criminal justice system — likely a fine.
Committee member Randy White, a Canadian Alliance MP from British Columbia, said the report — which will also recommend a 30-gram ceiling for people who grow their own marijuana — goes too far."You may as well start legalizing it," he complained in an interview.But New Democrat Libby Davies, another committee member, said the Liberal-dominated committee didn't go nearly far nearly and she'll be issuing a minority report."It's still basically leaving the possession of cannabis as illegal," said Ms. Davies. "Any trafficking would still be illegal. So it's still leaving in place all of the harms from prohibition."Ms. Davies said the federal government should be considering "a non-criminal, regulatory approach that doesn't involve fines, for example."They're not moving very far at all, even though [the report] says 30 grams."One source said the 30-gram limit would simply put into law current police practice of seldom pressing charges in cases where only small amounts of the drug are found.The amount corresponds to the old street measurement of about an ounce. Prime hydroponically grown bud sells for up to $15 a gram.Mr. White suggested that possession of amounts under five grams should be treated with a fine. But he said permitting home-grown "is just a stupid position" because it's impossible to enforce a limit.The Liberals on the committee, he said, were "obviously under directions from the Minister at that point."On Monday, federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said the government could bring in legislation early in the new year to decriminalize pot use.Liberal MP Paddy Torsney, the chairwoman of the committee which held hearings for 18 months, said the committee focused on a "health approach.""We need prevention and education across the use of all substances, legal and illegal," she said.In September, a Senate committee recommended that marijuana be legalized for use by anybody over the age of 16.The committee found that moderate use of the drug poses no serious long-term dangers for adults and could be sold under controlled circumstances like liquor or in drug stores. Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)Published: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Globe and Mail CompanyContact: letters globeandmail.caWebsite: http://www.globeandmail.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmMany Other Countries Try Decriminalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14943.shtmlParliamentary Committee To Recommend Pot Lawhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14942.shtmlNew Pot Laws Could Be Inconsistent: Advocateshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14939.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by TroutMask on December 12, 2002 at 06:43:43 PT
Here kitty kitty!
Just let the cat out of the bag for a minute. We'll put it back in later if we have to. Honest we will! Honest as George Bush!-TM
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Comment #4 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on December 12, 2002 at 04:02:38 PT
LTE
Sirs,  By allowing responsible adults to possess 30 grams of cannabis, but not giving them any place to purchase it, the Canadian government will have just handed even more money to an already lucrative criminal enterprise without keeping any for itself. Imposing a fine on cannabis users when they are caught would not make nearly the amount of money that a small tax on legally sold cannabis could. A tax on cannabis would be collected every time, unlike a fine. If the Canadian government really wanted to remove the criminal element from the marijuana business, they would allow Canadians an alternate place to buy it.
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Comment #3 posted by John Tyler on December 11, 2002 at 22:19:37 PT
He finally got it right!
Committee member Randy White, a Canadian Alliance MP from British Columbia, "You may as well start legalizing it," he complained in an interview.Oh Canada, you will be at the top of my vacation list.
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Comment #2 posted by mayan on December 11, 2002 at 18:56:29 PT
May As Well!
Committee member Randy White, a Canadian Alliance MP from British Columbia, said the report — which will also recommend a 30-gram ceiling for people who grow their own marijuana — goes too far."You may as well start legalizing it," he complained in an interview.They may as well legalize it, as the black market & organized crime will thrive more than ever. The way out is the way in -Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11(QuickTime Video, parts 1-4) http://www.guerrillanews.com/after_math/The 9/11 Truth Movement - Selected Resources for Researchers and Activists: http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/LEV212A.htmlMore 9/11 Links: http://www.keystonereport.com/911.htmSecret 9/11 Documents: http://www.hempbc.com/articles/2705.html9/11 "Conspiracies" and the Defactualisation of Analysis: http://www.mediamonitors.net/mosaddeq37.html9/11 Skeptics Unite: http://www.osamaskidneys.com/links.htmlPaul Thompson's Complete 9/11 Timeline: http://cooperativeresearch.org/completetimeline/The People's Investigation of 9/11: http://www.911pi.com/ 
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on December 11, 2002 at 18:46:34 PT
New Democrat Libby Davies
is right, it's not going to where We must go.5 grams is absurd.30 grams, as far as growing it is concerned is not right. You would have to kill the plant before it grows...And Randy White, got the bulls-eye: "You may as well start legalizing it," If He doesn't want the superplant, then at least give that man some lunch meat."You may as well start legalizing it," What are We waiting for. Bush to become peaceful & honest?
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