cannabisnews.com: Justice Minister Awaiting Changes To Marijuana Law Justice Minister Awaiting Changes To Marijuana Law Posted by CN Staff on December 25, 2002 at 18:01:50 PT By Jason Small, Star Reporter Source: Whitehorse Star The Yukon government will wait until Ottawa makes an official decision before it gets off the pot on the issue of decriminalizing marijuana.Recently, a committee of federal MPs released a report recommending that anybody caught with up to 30 grams of marijuana receive a fine instead of being charged and left with a criminal record. According to the report, fines would be paid without a court appearance and people would not receive a criminal conviction, much like a speeding ticket.However, the selling of marijuana would remain a crime.Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon has said the government could introduce a bill in the House of Commons to decriminalize the possession of marijuana.While Cauchon’s comments and the committee’s report have some provinces concerned, the Yukon government won’t say anything until it sees some action.Cabinet spokesman Peter Carr said last week that Justice Minister Elaine Taylor will not comment on the possibility of decriminalizing marijuana until the federal government actually does something on the matter besides talk about it.The ideas being thrown forward by Ottawa would also cut cultivating small amounts of weed at home from the list of criminal offences.However, there has been no suggestion by the committee to legalize the possession of pot.According to The Canadian Press, committee chair Paddy Torsney, a Liberal MP from the riding of Burlington, Ont., said two weeks ago that while smoking grass is not healthy, the legal consequences do not match the potential harm of using the drug.The special committee was created to study the non-medical use of marijuana.Torsney also said the committee had been told the prosecution of cannabis-related charges takes up too much time in the legal system.Source: Whitehorse Star (CN YK)Author: Jason Small, Star ReporterPublished: December 24, 2002Copyright: 2002 Whitehorse StarContact: letters whitehorsestar.comWebsite: http://www.whitehorsestar.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmDrug Strategy Addresses Concerns of Canadians http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15011.shtmlPot on MP Torsney's Mind http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15010.shtmlDecriminalize Marijuana Nowhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14996.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by The GCW on December 26, 2002 at 05:24:53 PT COURT FREES TWO IN CATCH-22 POT CASE COURT FREES TWO IN CATCH-22 POT CASE COURT FREES TWO IN CATCH-22 POT CASE COURT FREES TWO IN CATCH-22 POT CASE http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n2325/a08.html?397Read it for Your self... This seems like a notch up.(& p4me, when the war is over, please change Your name)The following stories bring back Our attention (year 2000) to what took place when those 3 Ontario Supreme Court Judges put the whip down, giving Canada 1 year to change the cannabis laws or else there would no longer be any cannabis laws... And these stories may give insight to help understand the above story...TOP ONTARIO COURT RULES MARIJUANA BAN ILLEGAL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1096/a04.html?1075 CANADIAN COURT STRIKES DOWN MARIJUANA LAW http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1094/a05.html?1082POT LAW RULED UNFAIR BY TOP COURT http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1091/a04.html?1082POT LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL, COURT RULES http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1091/a01.html?1082COURT RULES POT LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1087/a05.html?1082ANTI-MARIJUANA LAW VIOLATES RIGHTS OF THE SICK, JUDGE RULES http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1087/a06.html?1082ONTARIO COURT STRIKES DOWN MARIJUANA LAW; GIVES OTTAWA YEAR TO CLARIFY IT http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1087/a03.html?1082 [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by greek_philosophizer on December 26, 2002 at 02:46:26 PT: p4me Hi p4me, Does p4me mean we should pray for you or does it mean that we should pee for you? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by p4me on December 25, 2002 at 19:35:45 PT Select Senate Committee report It sure is strange that the Senate Report gets left out of all these articles. According to the Select Committee decriminalization is "institutionalized hypocracy." Just more proof that the Senate addressed the issue with the best reasoning.There is only one Logical Conclusion. Legalize cannabis.1 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment