cannabisnews.com: Cauchon Heads To D.C. To Explain New Pot Law





Cauchon Heads To D.C. To Explain New Pot Law
Posted by CN Staff on May 12, 2003 at 16:04:40 PT
By The CTV.ca News Staff
Source: CTV
Before introducing his new bill to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in the house, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon will head to Washington to explain the matter to U.S. officials. Cauchon will present his controversial plan to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft on Tuesday, Canadian officials said Monday.The bill could be introduced in the house as early as this week, but before that happens, Cauchon wants to explain what it means to his U.S. counterpart. He is expected to stress to Ashcroft that marijuana will remain illegal, even if no longer criminal -- something that some U.S. states have done already.
Cauchon also wants to outline plans for stricter penalties for commercial marijuana-growing operations.Washington has expressed concerns about Canada's plans for marijuana laws. Earlier this month, John Walters, director of the White House office of National Drug Control Policy, said the Liberal government's plans to decriminalize pot possession would increase crime and would therefore pose a threat to U.S. citizens."We have to be concerned about American citizens... when you make the penalties minimal you get more drug use, you get more drug addiction, you get more drug production, you get more drug crime," he told CTV News.Here in Canada, police remain opposed to Ottawa's plans. Mike Niebudek, the vice-president of the Canadian Police Association, told CTV's Canada AM they are "staunchly against" any sort of ticketing system for marijuana possession, rather than criminal charges."So far as the legislation is concerned, we're satisfied with what's in the book right now to do the job," Niebudek said. He said that there are certain cases in which he believes criminal charges are necessary. He cited examples such as a father who smokes marijuana in front of his children, or kids who bring drugs to school."I think what's important as well is that we send a clear message to our youth out there, to the children, that smoking marijuana, especially the grade of marijuana in 2003, which is completely different from what was on the market 20-25 years ago, is very dangerous," Niebudek said.He told Canada AM that instead of focusing on the decriminalization of marijuana, Ottawa should establish a national drug strategy "that will address issues such as education, prevention and treatment."Canadian Alliance MP Randy White made similar comments on CTV's Question Period on Sunday."This Liberal government has no national drug strategy. If we're going to decriminalize marijuana ... let's have a national strategy and deal with marijuana, heroine, crack and so on," White said."It's not as simple as just decriminalizing. I want to see what the bill is. I want to see how much the limit is. I want to see what the fines are. I want to see how they're going to collect them because that certainly is a problem," added White.Source: CTV (Canada)Published: May 12, 2003Copyright: 2003 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. Website: http://www.ctv.ca/Contact: newsonline ctv.ca Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmCanada Minister To Outline Pot Plan To Washingtonhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16265.shtmlPolice Opposed To Ottawa's Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16261.shtmlDetails of New Marijuana Bill Eagerly Awaitedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16257.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by lombar on May 13, 2003 at 00:41:41 PT
goneposthole
The sad thing is either they are too stupid to realize they are being stupid or too evil to care, I gave up the notion that they are good people fighting for positive change albeit misdirected. Either way, the little people are saddled with them. Fighting to continue to persecute a minority, fighting to keep a failed system and fighting to continue to label me a criminal. I am getting so sick of the lies...I've met real criminals; I am not one of them. . Until it is legal and regulated, there will be no end to the worst ills of the current policies and only a whole host of new ones.It is far easier to manipulate with fear than to convince with any reasonable arguments. White appeals to other fossils that still believe that reefer-madness film is an accurate depiction of a cannabis user. Or that society will crumble if cannabis were legal, or the message "illicit (peace loving)drug users are deviant miscreants deserving incarceration and stigmatisation wheares drinkers can ravage society with many and horrible consequences and get helped" is somehow healthy for children. Fighting prohibition is an uphill battle, the masses have been convinced of the "images" that the plant is somehow bad and the onus is on the reformers to prove lack of harm rather than on the state to prove that the harm justifies criminal sanction. These guys just have to fan flames that are already burning...gee we're not allowed to hate minorities anymore; but we still have junkies and drug dealers. You gotta notice that White puts cannabis before both crack and herione as if it were the far greater hazzard. "He who wishes his own happiness by causing pain to others is not released from hatred, being himself entangled in the tangles of hatred."
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Comment #8 posted by Lehder on May 12, 2003 at 23:51:08 PT
Thailand
>>Cauchon also wants to outline plans for stricter penalties for commercial
   marijuana-growing operations.>>the federal government will levy harsher penalties on traffickers
   and that will be emphasized to Ashcroft.Enter "Thailand war on drugs" into your browser and find a long list of articles on the world's most intense drug war, now declared by the Thai government to have been successfully completed. It was that government's announced intention of rendering Thailand drug-free with a vicious three month campaign of drug user eradication. Multiple lists of drug users and dealers were drawn up, one by the police, more lists by various government administrative offices. Citizens were also persuaded to contribute names of neighbors and acquaintances to these lists. When the lists were completed, the first day of the great pogrom dawned with the first of its killings. Police were authorized to execute suspects without the bother of investigation beyond the occurrence of a name on a list and without the burden of arrest or trial, although admittedly there were many instances in which the police took the more ponderous course of handcuffing their suspects before shooting them. Many people, drug users or not but fearing their names might be listed, turned themselves in for boot-camp styled rehabilitation. Some of the accused, wrongly listed, sought recourse from police or administrative officials and after a discussion left the public offices satisfied that all had been cleared up. These people were killed on their ways
 home. And with so many citizens and officials eager to contribute to the lists, a large number of private scores were settled and some politically difficult citizens vanished too. Altogether, more than two thousand citizens were executed.What public outcry as was heard strongly supported the improved drug war and expressed satisfaction with the riddance of a scourge; opposing opinions were quite muted, and the government declared its drug war completed and the country drug-free. There of course remains a great deal of dope in Thailand and many users ready to consume it, although the prices have doubled and trebled.>>Here in Canada, police remain opposed to Ottawa's plans. Mike Niebudek, the
   vice-president of the Canadian Police Association, told CTV's Canada AM they are
   "staunchly against" any sort of ticketing system for marijuana possession, rather than
   criminal charges.Hey, whaddya mean by all this, Lehder, whaddya tryin' to say? Is it a parable or what?It's no parable. It's the "war on drugs", and it must be stopped.
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Comment #7 posted by goneposthole on May 12, 2003 at 20:38:20 PT
comical
They must realize how silly and stupid they are.
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Comment #6 posted by mayan on May 12, 2003 at 18:38:12 PT
Canada, The 51st State
It looks like Canada is just another U.S. state. So much for their sovereignity. Here's another drug-related story about the "liberation" of Iraq...Fury rises in Baghdad as drugs return to the alleys:
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=405125The way out is the way in...9/11 Showdown:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/910676.asp?0cl=c1&cp1=19/11 Facts:
http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/9_11_facts.html9/11 Film Draws Overflow Crowd:
http://onlinejournal.com/Media/050703Lynn/050703lynn.htmlAn Interesting Day - President Bush's Movements & Actions on 9/11:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.net/timeline/main/essayaninterestingday.html9/11 Revelations:
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO206A.htmlConspiracy crusader doubts official 9/11 version:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1052251546550&call_page=TS_Columnists&call_pageid=970599109774&call_pagepath=Columnists
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Comment #5 posted by Jose Melendez on May 12, 2003 at 18:36:42 PT
bogus, from whitehouse.org
 For Immediate Release - Office of the Press Secretary - May 6, 2003 - 2:07 P.M. (EST) SAFEGUARDING AMERICA'S VIRTUOUSNESS: PRESIDENT BUSH'S STATEMENT ANNOUNCING THE APPOINTMENT OF WILLIAM J. BENNETT AS UNITED STATES SLOTS CZAR Statement by the President  THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. Please be seated. Today it is my pleasure and honor to announce the appointment of former Secretary of Education and Book of Virtues author William J. Bennett as the United States Slots Czar. In his role overseeing the Office of National High Roller's Protection Policy, Dr. Bennett will be launching a ferocious new offensive in America's War on the House Edge in both Indian and normal-people casinos throughout the land. Let's give him a warm Player's Club welcome.  (Applause.)  I have some complimentary cocktail coupons and a free upgrade to the Lincoln bedroom to make you feel right at home, sir.  (Laughter.)  Now as a tiny minority of news nerds may have noticed, certain non-FOX, America-hating reporters have been practicing a type of yellow journalism that favors fact over flag in a shameless attempt to suggest that Bill Bennett is a gluttonous hypocrite just because he does a wee bit of harmless gambling on the side. You know, that is the same type of annoying, killjoy crap they pulled on me for sending some of my fellow members of the Texas Cocaine Appreciation Society to the big house while I was Governor. Utter nonsense! At the heart of Bill's personal philosophy of moral superiority has always been the maxim "everything in moderation." And who better to endorse that than a morbidly obese chain-smoker who flushes almost a million smackaroos a year down casino toilets? Sheesh! 
whitehouse.org
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Comment #4 posted by afterburner on May 12, 2003 at 17:48:52 PT:
This 20-25 Years Ago Argument Is Bogus.
The good cannabis sampled 20-25 years ago in both Canada and the USA was substantially just as strong as cannabis sampled today.My four prohibitionists: U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, John Walters, director of the White House office of National Drug Control Policy, Mike Niebudek, the vice-president of the Canadian Police Association, and Canadian Alliance MP Randy White.ego transcendence follows ego destruction, heart by heart, until eventually there is no problem.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 12, 2003 at 17:34:07 PT
Related Article from The Canadian Press
Justice Minister To Advise Cabinet, U.S. Attorney General on Proposed Pot LawMay 12, 2003 
Ottawa (CP) - Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon will brief cabinet on proposals to decriminalize marijuana and then fill in U.S. officials on the new bill, Canadian government sources said Monday.Cauchon is to lay out his proposal to Prime Minister Jean Chretien and members of the cabinet on Tuesday, said sources speaking on condition of anonymity. If it is approved, draft legislation could be tabled by the end of the week. Once he has cabinet approval, Cauchon will fly to Washington to brief U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.The American government has expressed some dismay at Canadian plans to lighten marijuana penalties even though some people in the U.S. are pushing for their government to make a similar move.U.S. officials have told the Canadian government that decriminalizing marijuana could cause problems such as long lines at border crossings while vehicles are searched for drugs.Cauchon said in the Commons on Monday that the government has no intention of legalizing marijuana.Sources said that while possession of 15 grams of marijuana will likely be only met with a fine under new legislation, the federal government will levy harsher penalties on traffickers and that will be emphasized to Ashcroft.The government would also crack down on illegal growing operations, the sources said.
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Comment #2 posted by Prime on May 12, 2003 at 17:18:17 PT
Bow to your masters...
you Canadian peasents!! How much for the women? eh? Yes your women, how much do want for them?I digress.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 12, 2003 at 16:09:32 PT
Related CTV Videos
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1052743719401_138/?hub=TopStories
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