cannabisnews.com: Pot Plan Has Critics Fuming 





Pot Plan Has Critics Fuming 
Posted by CN Staff on June 02, 2003 at 07:40:05 PT
By Anne McIlroy 
Source: Guardian Unlimited
Canadians caught with small amounts of marijuana will get fines similar to those handed out for speeding tickets under controversial proposed legislation. They won't go to jail, and they won't get a criminal record, which can make it hard to get a job or travel to the US. The maximum sentence under the current law is six months in prison, and the prime minister, Jean Chretien, is determined to implement a less harsh approach before he retires next year. 
Under the proposed cannabis reform bill, anyone caught with 15 grams or less of cannabis - enough to roll 15 to 30 joints - would get a ticket and a fine of about £67. Anyone who has already been convicted will be able to apply for a pardon. Although it decriminalises the possession of small amounts of marijuana, the new bill will also crack down on people who actually grow pot, even a few plants. The maximum sentence for growing cannabis will double under the bill from seven to 14 years. The get-tough-on-growers provisions appear to be an attempt to appease the US administration, which has bluntly expressed its opposition to liberalising the drug law. But the Americans are not happy about the changes. Last week, John Walters, the White House director of drug-control policy, warned that policing the flow of pot from Canada could dramatically slow down traffic at the border. He said that in Canada, smoking pot would soon be seen as akin to jaywalking, and the Canadians could pay a heavy price - in terms of lost trade - for going soft on drugs. "We'll respond to the threat," he told a US cable news show. "What we have to do is protect Americans and right now, this is out of control." The bill has also met with criticism in Canada, from police forces, federal opposition parties and even many members of Mr Chretien's Liberal caucus. The bill contains smaller fines for young people than for adults. Critics fear it sends teenagers the wrong message about drugs. Another worry is that it will make it harder for officers to charge people who get behind the wheel after smoking pot. "I hope the legislation ... will not encourage marijuana users to toke and drive," Liberal MP Joe Fontana said. In defending the legislation, the justice minister, Martin Cauchon, stressed that Canada is not making pot-smoking legal. "We are not legalising marijuana and we have no plans to do so," he said at a press conference. The plan to lighten up on pot smokers is not characteristic of Mr Chretien, who is 69 and has never smoked the stuff. He was known for his caution during his three terms in power, but now that he is leaving, he is determined to push through a number of controversial bills, including one that would severely limit corporate donations to political parties, including his own. But many members of his caucus are staunch supporters of former finance minister Paul Martin, the front-runner in the bid to replace Mr Chretien, both as Liberal leader and prime minister. Mr Chretien and Mr Martin were barely on speaking terms when the ambitious heir apparent was in cabinet. Now that he's left, his supporters are doing their best to thwart the prime minister during his remaining days in power. They could hold up the pot bill in the Commons until after the prime minister retires. It is uncertain that Mr Martin would take up the cause, especially if he is trying to rebuild the strained relations between Canada and the United States over Mr Chretien's decision not to take part in the war to oust Saddam Hussein from Iraq. Canadian public opinion, however, is solidly behind the changes. It remains to be seen if decriminalising pot will be part of Mr Chretien's legacy, or if the plan will go up in smoke.Note: Canada's planned decriminalisation of marijuana is opposed by the US and some domestic critics, but has firm public support, writes Anne McIlroy.Source: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Author: Anne McIlroy Published: Monday, June 2, 2003Copyright: 2003 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmChange Attitude http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16488.shtmlPot Law Just Blowing Smoke http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16475.shtmlLegalize Pot, Says Mayor Campbellhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16423.shtmlLegalize Marijuana, Senate Committee Sayshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13989.shtml 
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Comment #1 posted by afterburner on June 02, 2003 at 16:15:57 PT:
It's Not Too Late to Fix the Re-Crim Bill
Simple, reduce the fine for possession and personal cultivation or transfer of 15 grams of cannabis to $100. This will allow medical cannabis users to have as much protection as in Maryland, though probably not enough to satisfy the Canadian Courts. Only by including possession, personal cultivation, and transfer in the reduced penalties can any statistically significant results be gathered to guide future laws. This method also allows the opportunity to seize the black market from criminal gangs dealing hard drugs. Of course, in these times of cut-backs and layoffs, Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell's cannabis proposal that "we should legalize it, we should tax it" makes more fiscally prudent sense: if you really want to fix the cannabis law. [ Legalize Pot, Says Mayor Campbell http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16423.shtml ]ego transcendence follows ego destruction, but only if you look beyond the 90-plus years of misleading propaganda and face the true scientific facts.
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