Pubdate: Mon, 26 May 2003
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)
Copyright: 2003 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Contact:  http://www.seattle-pi.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/408
Author: Joel Connelly

TOM DELAY COULD USE A DIFFERENT FORM OF PUFFERY

As Parliament reconvenes today, Canada's government is set to introduce 
legislation that would remove criminal penalties and substitute a simple 
ticket for those possessing small amounts of marijuana.

The decriminalization bill is causing controversy -- in the United States.

John Walters, the Bush administration's drug czar, has taken repeated pot 
shots at Canada's "out of control" drug policy.

Up in the Great White North, however, polls show 70 percent of Canadians 
favor the pending reform.

Why? Part of it is recognition that criminal penalties don't stop people 
from getting high. They just give them criminal records, and give 
politicians embarrassing questions to answer later in life.

Advocates of Canada's proposed reform cite statistics on how the United 
States, with 5 percent of the world's population, now has 25 percent of the 
globe's prison inmates. Almost 500,000 people in the States are locked up 
for drug violations.

As well, particularly in western Canada, social choices -- such as smoking 
marijuana -- seem to be recognized as a matter of personal autonomy. The 
result is that the United States and Canada are of late moving in different 
legal directions.

Canada's House of Commons is likely to approve marijuana decriminalization, 
which is championed by Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his Cabinet. Asked 
if he ever lighted up, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon told parliamentary 
reporters: "Yes, of course."

A few years back, however, Chretien's government pushed through one of the 
world's most stringent (and costly to implement) laws covering gun 
registration and ownership.

The U.S. House of Representatives has blocked implementation of a 
medical-marijuana initiative approved by voters of the District of 
Columbia. It is considering legislation to stop federal anti-drug money 
from going to states that pass medical-marijuana laws.

At the same time, the House rushed passage of legislation that would exempt 
gun manufacturers from civil lawsuits brought by victims of firearms 
violence. It is likely to let expire a 1994 law that banned manufacture or 
sale of two dozen types of assault rifles.

The laid-back attitude toward marijuana smoking in Vancouver, B.C., has 
frequently been shown to Seattle TV viewers.

Especially during sweeps months, U.S.- based television crews regularly 
sniffed out the Cannabis Cafe, where drug parapher-nalia was sold and 
marijuana openly smoked and ingested in brownies. Embar- rassed city 
officials eventually shut it down.

Whistler-based Ross Rebagliati won the Winter Olympics' first snowboarding 
gold medal at Nagano in 1998.

He gained greater fame a few days later when Olympic officials found traces 
of marijuana, and took away the medal.

It was reinstated, however, when it turned out that grass was not on the 
Olympics' list of banned drugs.

Rebagliati returned in triumph to Whistler, where supporters passed around 
what was billed as the world's largest joint.

The Canadian government already runs a marijuana farm in Manitoba, growing 
cannabis for clinical trials on pain relief among neuropathy and AIDS patients.

About 200 Canadian citizens are authorized to grow and smoke pot to relieve 
pain from cancer, multiple sclerosis and severe arthritis.

In details leaked to The (Toronto) Globe and Mail, the government's 
legislation would have three major thrusts:

*Police would write a ticket, rather than criminal citation, for possession 
of up to 15 grams (roughly 20 joints) of cannabis. Adults would pay a $150 
(Canadian) fine, minors a fine of $100.

*Between 15 and 30 grams, police would have discretion whether to write a 
ticket or file criminal charges. Also, fines would increase when there were 
"aggravating factors."

*Much tougher penalties would be imposed on commercial growers, such as 
those producing potent "B.C. bud" for export to the United States. Four new 
categories of offense, rising in severity, would be created for cultivation.

The government plans to be ready with an education and information program 
to discourage increased pot smoking.

Walters, however, is aghast -- and not the least impressed at the criminal 
charges for cultivation. "Stepping up penalties that are not enforced is 
not going to solve the problem," he told one interviewer.

History may not be on his side.

Earlier this month, Belgium became the latest European country to 
decriminalize marijuana possession.

Eight U.S. states (including Washington, Oregon and California) have passed 
medical-marijuana initiatives.

Last week, in Maryland, conservative Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich defied 
Walters' counsel and signed a marijuana reform bill.

It dramatically reduces penalties for cancer patients and others who smoke 
cannabis to relieve pain and suffering.

It imposes a mere $100 fine for those caught possessing marijuana out of 
"medical necessity."

Even the audience of bellicose conservative Fox pundit Bill O'Reilly -- who 
calls Canada's leaders "pinheads" -- seems to be turning.

In a poll that drew 40,000 responses, O'Reilly's viewers voted 54 percent 
to 46 percent in favor of decriminalization.

Sad to say, however, our House of Representatives is run by a man -- Texas 
Rep. Tom DeLay -- who chews tobacco and smokes cigars.

Recently, as The Washington Post reported, DeLay and cronies lighted up 
cigars at Ruth's Chris Steak House in D.C., which is in a building owned by 
the Smithsonian and falls under a federal smoking ban.

A manager politely cited government policy and asked DeLay to snuff out his 
stogie.

"I AM the federal government," DeLay bellowed at him, and then stormed out.

Were he to smoke a joint, DeLay might be better able to control his anger.
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MAP posted-by: Tom