cannabisnews.com: Alberta Trying To Limit Pot Law





Alberta Trying To Limit Pot Law
Posted by CN Staff on October 04, 2003 at 08:07:48 PT
By Jerry Ward, Legislature Bureau
Source: Edmonton Sun
Alberta may mellow in its opposition to marijuana decriminalization - but only if the feds come down from their high first. "The suggestion is the amount be lowered to five grams from 15," Attorney General David Hancock told The Sun about a Quebec proposal that Alberta may support. Currently, the federal government is proposing that possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana be a non-criminal offence. While Alberta remains opposed to any decriminalization, Hancock said the province could accept a lower limit if it's going to lose the battle anyway.
That proposal came out of a meeting of provincial justice ministers held this past week, in which Quebec suggested the compromise. The provinces would also demand a very stiff fine for possession of less than five grams, Hancock told The Sun. Provinces could also meet Ottawa halfway on the higher proposed limit by agreeing that not all possession charges over five grams would automatically land someone in court. "The discretion to charge between five grams and 30 grams would be left with the attorney general." Hancock said Alberta remains convinced that pot possession should be a criminal offence. "We maintain our position that we don't believe that the decriminalization of marijuana is a priority for Canadians," he said. "But if they (Ottawa) were to proceed then we believe that Quebec's position ... sends a better message." However, pot advocate Marc Emery said his followers oppose any compromise. "There is nothing wrong with pot. Pot should not be illegal and people should never be punished," said Emery, president of the British Columbia Marijuana Party and publisher of Cannabis Culture magazine. "Some of the justice ministers want to make it so a second offence is a criminal charge, and now they want it reduced to five grams? I mean, as if five grams, 15 grams, 30 grams makes any difference." Hancock said there is also an agreement among justice ministers to look at stronger penalties for those caught with grow operations. "We may not see any of that in this fall's bill ... but at least there's a commitment to work on stronger penalties, and perhaps even looking at minimum penalties on the grow-op side," he said. "It remains to be seen whether the federal government will do anything with it at this stage." Emery said Alberta is still looking for ways to stomp on smokers. "They want it so marijuana people still have to run and hide when they're using marijuana, buying marijuana, when they're growing marijuana, and none of that is justifiable." Note: Wants more than 5 grams to still be criminal.Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Author:  Jerry Ward, Legislature BureauPublished:  Saturday, October 4, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: letters edm.sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyiedmonton.com/htdocs/edmsun.shtmlRelated Articles & Web Sites:Cannabis Culturehttp://www.cannabisculture.com/ Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmAre Canada's Marijuana Laws Valid?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17429.shtmlB.C.'s Marijuana Law Doesn't Exist, Judge Rules http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17313.shtmlMarijuana Laws Struck Down in British Columbia http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17293.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 04, 2003 at 10:41:54 PT
Sam
That is an excellent web site.
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Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on October 04, 2003 at 10:36:17 PT
Great website
btw, here is an excellent website of cannabis resources in Canada, including a comprehensive list of compassion clubs. I thought other medical users might be interested in this. I discovered that a compassion club has opened in Montreal......very exciting for me as it's only several hours away.....http://cannabislink.ca/links.html
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 04, 2003 at 10:36:11 PT
Sam
I just love Neil Young. We are watching Rust Never Sleeps right now. Dan Ackroyd and Martin Short always make me laugh!
Neil Young: Greendale
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on October 04, 2003 at 10:33:33 PT
Music
I'll take Neil Young, Rush, and Diana Krall, but they can keep Bryan Adams....
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on October 04, 2003 at 10:29:06 PT
Oh Canada!
Learning about Canada because of the marijuana issue has been very interesting to me. I started thinking about what entertainers I really like and found out most of them are Canadians. You have a good spirit up there. We need people down here to pay attention to what you all are saying. You feel you have a say in what your country needs. Keep up the good work!
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on October 04, 2003 at 10:28:24 PT
loving Canada
Just look at what they chose for the last paragraph - the editorial paragraph. A statement from Marc Emery, who would be cast as a lunatic by the media if he were in the US. You definitely get a strong feeling from the judiciary and the media in Canada that they're ashamed of the pathetic performance by the elected government on this issue.These guys act like they'd rather die than make a simple reform. Their glaring incompetence at their job should be an outrage to any Canadian who pays taxes. The saddest part is that all this jockeying is a total waste of time. They'll hem and haw for 12 months and, in the end, do absolutely nothing. Judging from the $50 million medical marijuana fiasco, I'm sure most Canadians hope that they do nothing at all.That's a sad statement about modern North American society. We work half the year to pay the government, and our best hope and aspiration for them is to just do nothing. When will people wake up and stand up to these scoundrels?
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Comment #2 posted by Kegan on October 04, 2003 at 09:51:18 PT
Never happen
Ottawa will put in a law no one will obey.Alberta cops will bust smokers and kill plants, and harrass and badger people like they have been.Problem is, it won't stick in court, because the activists are gonna be there every time challanging it on a constitutional basis.Pot is legal in Canada, and our charter of rights will protect us, if we are brave enough to use it.Treat pot people like criminals, but politicians and cops who throw people in cages are GOOD guys?????This is Hell we live in.... you all realize that, right? That a planet like this is actually some prison colony for human souls to suffer insanity.I'm convinced.
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Comment #1 posted by WolfgangWylde on October 04, 2003 at 08:28:42 PT
This decrim...
..., excuse me, REcrim bill, is the worst thing that can happen to the cannabis movement in Canada.
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