Pubdate: Wed, 28 May 2003 Source: Wall Street Journal (US) Copyright: 2003 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Contact: http://www.wsj.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487 Author: Joel Baglole, Staff Reporter Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/walters.htm (Walters, John) CANADA TO DECRIMINALIZE SOME USE OF MARIJUANA OTTAWA -- Angering U.S. officials, the Canadian government Wednesday unveiled in Parliament new legislation that decriminalizes the personal use of small amounts of marijuana, making possession of the drug a noncriminal offense punishable with a ticket and fine, similar to those issued for traffic infractions. Calling the ticket and fine approach "alternative penalties," Canada's justice minister, Martin Cauchon, said drug use "is still harmful" and emphasized that "zero use of marijuana" remains the government's goal. However, Mr. Cauchon said previous efforts to combat drug use have failed. He noted that an estimated 100,000 Canadians use marijuana daily. Mr. Cauchon said the government plans to pass the marijuana legislation into law by year end. U.S. government and law-enforcement officials in recent months have expressed outrage with Canada's plans to relax marijuana laws. U.S. drug czar John Walters has said looser drug laws in Canada could result in tighter security along the U.S. border. Exact figures are hard to come by, but some police groups estimate 10 billion Canadian dollars (US$7.28 billion) a year of illegal drugs , mostly marijuana, enters the U.S. from Canada. According to Canadian government officials, Canada is the third-largest marijuana supplier to the U.S., after Mexico and Columbia. U.S.-Canada relations are already under strain due to a series of contentious trade disputes. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager