Pubdate: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 Source: The Week Online with DRCNet (US Web) Contact: http://www.drcnet.org/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2514 Author: Phillip S. Smith, Editor Alert: Please Help Canadians Understand What We Really Believe http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0258.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) CANADIAN JUSTICE MINISTER CALLS FOR CANNABIS DECRIM "EARLY NEXT YEAR" US Opposition Could Pose Obstacle Canadian Minister of Justice Martin Cauchon didn't need to read the House of Commons report to know where he wants to take cannabis policy. In remarks to reporters outside the House of Commons on Monday, Cauchon strongly suggested that the federal government would introduce legislation early next year to decriminalize the use and possession of marijuana. "If we're talking about the question of decriminalizing marijuana, we may move ahead quickly as a government," he said. "I don't want to give you a date or a time frame, but let's say the beginning of next year. Give me the first four months of next year." While Cauchon added that he was waiting for the House of Commons report to be issued, his comments Monday suggest that he has already decided in favor of decriminalization. Cauchon made similar remarks after the September issuance of the Canadian Senate report, which called for the legalization of cannabis for those over the age of 16. "I don't think I've ever really hidden my position," he said. "I think most Canadians know where I stand, but I'm part of a parliamentary process that I must respect." So, is marijuana decriminalization a done deal? Not quite, said Eugene Oscapella of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy (http://www.cfdp.ca). "The Minister of Justice says he wants to do it, and I take him at his word. He is a key player in this," Oscapella told DRCNet. "If the governing Liberal Party is being honest, we will have decrim next year. My biggest fear is that the government will cook up some excuse not to do anything. Will another major terrorist attack throw everything out of whack? How will a war affect things? Will it turn people's attention away from decriminalization?" Oscapella also pointed to another potential stumbling block. "The real fly in the ointment is the pressure the US administration will bring to bear on this," he said. "Your drug czar was already on Canadian TV this afternoon [Thursday] saying it was a mistake, there would be consequences." US drug czar John Walters has previously threatened dire consequences for US-Canadian trade in the event of Canadian marijuana law reform, and while he was more tactful Thursday in an interview with the Associated Press, he still warned that liberalizing Canada's marijuana laws will "boost drug use and bring more pot into the United States." Walters added that while he didn't think decrim would "destroy" US-Canadian relations, the US would be forced to take measures to combat what he predicted would be an increased flow of drugs from Canada. "My theory is it's going to cause unnecessary harm to our citizens and our children on both sides of our borders," he said. "For people who try to tell Americans marijuana is not something we have to pay attention to - it's a lie," he said. Be prepared for Walters to increase his focus on Canada in coming months as Canadian stake-holders in the cannabis debate jockey for position. Still, said Oscapella, "I'm optimistic. We're making progress. We'll keep our fingers crossed and hope this can be a beacon of hope." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake