Pubdate: Wed, 14 May 2003 Source: Meridian Booster (CN AB) Copyright: 2003, The Lloydminster Meridian Booster Contact: http://www.bowesnet.com/lloydminster/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1590 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) EDUCATION BEFORE DECRIMINALIZATION It appears the federal government is spinning in circles when it comes to deciding the direction of its own marijuana legislation. The feds are considering fining small-time pot users as little as $100 under decriminalization laws it hopes to introduce in the House of Commons. However, the Justice Department's most recent change -- that possession of less than 15 grams of weed would net a person a fine equivalent to a traffic violation -- comes a short time after the department looked confident it was going another way. It indicated it would accept a recommendation by a special House of Commons committee on illicit drugs, which proposed criminal sanctions be lifted for less than 30 grams. But that's old news now. With all this scrambling around by the Liberals, it would be a safe bet to say the party isn't ready to tackle this topic until it has more information. And even by then, proposed legislation will likely sit on the backburner if Paul Martin becomes Canada's next prime minister. Health Minister Anne McLellan is in support of decriminalizing pot, but only if a national drug strategy is set in place by the government. Common sense, on the other hand, would tell us we need a drug strategy before implementing a drug law that may have serious implications across the country -- and even at the Canada-U.S. border. If legislation is passed in Ottawa to decriminalize marijuana, it will be apparent the U.S. government will make it more difficult for Canadians to cross the border. And who could blame the White House for issuing such a warning? With the growing use of B.C. bud -- a stronger, more potent line of pot -- there's no doubt Canada should be on the radar of countries to keep an eye on concerning drugs. The federal government is telling us to ignore the fact that decriminalizing marijuana could lead to wide-spread use, forget that pot could more easily end up in school yards, forget that smoking marijuana could lead to harder drugs, and that marijuana impairs a person much more quickly than alcohol. After all, who cares about the consequences when it comes to those sacred public opinion polls. The truth of the matter is, if Canadians knew more about the drug and were increasingly educated by the government about what marijuana could do to this country, public opinion would no doubt be swayed the other way. Unfortunately the federal government is doing nothing in terms of educating our kids, and a national drug strategy won't even be out until decriminalization laws are passed. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom