Pubdate: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 Source: London Free Press (CN ON) Copyright: 2002 The London Free Press a division of Sun Media Corporation. Contact: http://www.fyilondon.com/londonfreepress/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/243 Author: Arpon Basu, Canadian Press MARIJUANA PARTY TAKES A POTSHOT AT DECRIMINALIZATION MONTREAL -- Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon is simply trying to put more money in federal coffers by considering fines rather than prison time for marijuana possession, the leader of the federal Marijuana party says. "What is most worrisome is that these fines will become a source of revenue for the state. It will become profitable to stop people for possession," Marc-Boris Saint-Maurice said yesterday. "So we will effectively be taxing the consumer with a ticket. "That is very unfair, because most of the people who will be targeted will be young or poor." Highly placed sources in the Justice Department say Cauchon is considering relaxing marijuana laws to make possession punishable by a fine, but he's neither considering making the drug legal nor relaxing punishment for trafficking. Saint-Maurice feels that's where Cauchon has gone wrong. "It is very nice of Mr. Cauchon to think of us cannabis consumers, but my major problem with what was announced is that we could see an increase in the police stopping people for cannabis," he said. "It would be much more appropriate to legalize the product and tax it at the source so that all consumers can contribute to the state." Saint-Maurice was also concerned quotas would be placed on the amount of fines that had to be levied each month, making police all the more vigilant at the end of the month. "Will it be like speeding tickets?" Saint-Maurice asked. "Will there be teams of police officers combing the city at the end of the month looking for consumers to boost that month's budget?" Saint-Maurice said his main reason for favouring total legalization is to protect the health and safety of consumers, who must trust drug dealers that the product they are selling is safe.