Pubdate: Tue, 14 Oct 2003
Source: Guelph Mercury (CN ON)
Copyright: 2003 Guelph Mercury Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.guelphmercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1418

FEDS PONDER AMENDMENTS TO MARIJUANA LEGISLATION

The federal government may lower the amount of "personal use" pot it will 
tolerate and slightly toughen provisions of its marijuana decriminalization 
bill in a bid to win over some of its staunch critics, including those on 
its own backbench.

Sources say amendments under consideration include: Lowering to 10 grams 
from 15 grams the amount of pot a person may possess before facing a 
potential criminal conviction and record; increasing penalties for "repeat 
offenders" who clearly flout the ban on pot; and imposing mandatory minimum 
sentences on large-scale growing operations.

Right now, the pot bill "de-criminalizes" the penalty for simple possession 
proposing, instead of a criminal sanction, a ticketing scheme with fines 
from $250 to $400.

The insider emphatically denied any move to impose a stricter limit is a 
move to allay concerns by Americans, saying many of the arguments the 
United States presents about stronger strains of marijuana are "a myth."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens