cannabisnews.com: Martin Favours Relaxed Pot Law Martin Favours Relaxed Pot Law Posted by CN Staff on April 29, 2003 at 14:17:06 PT By Bill Rodgers, Ottawa Bureau Chief Source: Calgary Sun Ottawa -- Decriminalizing possession of small amounts of pot for personal use has the support of Grit leadership frontrunner Paul Martin. "I think the idea of giving a young person a criminal record because they happened to get caught with a very, very small quantity (5-30 grams) once in their life -- I don't think that's what we should be doing," Martin told Sun Media. But he added: "I would not, under any circumstances, make it legal." Justice Minister Martin Cauchon hopes to have new legislation before the Commons before its summer recess. The plan would be to ticket offenders caught with small amounts for personal use, rather than drag them through the courts and leave them with a criminal record that could haunt them for a lifetime. Martin also noted the unequal treatment of the current law across the country, and the estimated 30,000 people charged with simple possession of pot every year. "You know, if you take a look at the situation, the backlog of cases out there is huge and this is part of the problem," he said. "The other thing is in some parts of the country you're prosecuted and in other parts of the country you're just let go." Another leadership contender, Sheila Copps, is also backing a change in the current law. A Sun-Leger poll found that 83% of Canadians who responded want lighter laws for pot possession. Only 14% of respondents believed pot should be illegal in all circumstances. Politicians are increasingly coming out in favour of mellower pot laws alongside the general population -- a phenomenon the Ontario NDP House leader says may come a result of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. "There are grannies out there smoking pot as a result of their glaucoma," Peter Kormos said. Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)Author: Bill Rodgers, Ottawa Bureau ChiefPublished: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 Copyright: 2003 The Calgary SunContact: callet sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyicalgary.com/calsun.shtmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmFix Marijuana Controls http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16096.shtmlMadness Prevails in Governments Approachhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16091.shtml'Born in Hysteria' - London Free Presshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16073.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by Virgil on April 29, 2003 at 19:41:30 PT The replinishable profits of drugs Wasn't Nepal the last nation to sign on to cannabis prohibition when Madman Nixon paid them $50 million to make it so. When the cannabis culture of thousands of years turned to prohibition of cannabis, the culture was destroyed by major heroin use problems. When buying your heroin please ask for the certified unbrand. Any other brand can get you killed. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by mayan on April 29, 2003 at 18:24:41 PT FoM... I love Fiore's work. Thanks! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on April 29, 2003 at 18:23:23 PT mayan This Mark Fiore Political Cartoon goes with the article about Afghanistan' opium production returning. I saw on the news last night their Opium Poppy fields. I swear my mother grew flowers just like them in our backhard in the 50s when I was a child. I remember because they were very pretty.http://www.markfiore.com/animation/liberation.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by mayan on April 29, 2003 at 17:46:12 PT Afghan Heroin... Here's yet another drug-war related article regarding Afghanistan's booming heroin production...Afghanistan reclaims its drug crown: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/ED26Ag02.htmlThe way out is the way in...Afghan War Planned Well Before 9/11: http://whatreallyhappened.com/preplanned.htmlColumnist John Kaminski To Be On Fox TV: http://rense.com/general37/column.htmKaminski's Best 9/11 Sites - 4th Edition: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0302/S00024.htmTHE VIDEO THAT PROVES 9-11 WAS NOT A SURPRISE: http://whatreallyhappened.com/schoolvideo.html9/11 CitizensWatch: http://www.911citizenswatch.org/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 29, 2003 at 15:59:32 PT Sam I'm glad I could help and I'm glad it is still on! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on April 29, 2003 at 15:54:42 PT Excellent! That is exactly what I was hoping to see! I confess I did see the O Cannabis article but did not read it all the way. May 6th is next Tuesday!It's exciting that the Supreme Court has not postponed (again) this hearing, even though Cauchon has again promised to change the law "this summer". You'd have to think they're leaning towards striking down the law - it couldn't be any more transparent that the elected government is continuing to stall along, just as they have for 30 years. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 29, 2003 at 15:34:53 PT Sam I took this portion out of this link. This article was published on April 27th in the Edmonton Sun. Is this what you wanted to know? To add a wrinkle to the debate, the Canadian Supreme Court is scheduled next week to hear a charter challenge case involving three appellants that challenges the criminalization of marijuana possession. Revered cannabis lawyer John Conroy will argue that his clients have a right to smoke pot. "If the court concludes there is no harm to others even based on this challenge, then it could possibly strike down existing laws, there could be a domino affect, even for laws against selling it," Conroy said. "We are trying to establish what our liberties are. In a free and democratic society, if you want to smoke pot, why should I care? It just wouldn't have an impact on others if it was taken off the black market." http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16075.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on April 29, 2003 at 14:53:56 PT What about the supreme court? Are they still going to hear the challenge to the MJ laws on May 6th? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment