Pubdate: Thu, 06 Mar 2014
Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN)
Copyright: 2014 The Leader-Post Ltd.
Contact: http://www.leaderpost.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor.html
Website: http://www.leaderpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361

TORIES MAY RELAX POT POSSESSION LAWS

OTTAWA - The Conservative government is considering looser marijuana 
laws that would allow police to ticket anyone caught with small 
amounts of pot instead of laying charges, Justice Minister Peter 
MacKay said Wednesday.

"We're not talking about decriminalization or legalization," MacKay 
said before a Conservative caucus meeting on Parliament Hill.

"The Criminal Code would still be available to police, but we would 
look at options that would ... allow police to ticket those types of offences."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is open to such an approach.

But MacKay has been among the Conservatives' fiercest critics of 
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's stance on the issue. Trudeau supports 
the legalization of marijuana.

MacKay accused the Liberal leader of promoting drug use to elementary 
schoolchildren last fall after Trudeau answered a question about his 
marijuana policies from First Nations high school students in Sioux 
Valley, Man. There were elementary school kids in the audience.

"Justin Trudeau's comments to elementary schoolchildren regarding the 
legalization of marijuana is not only bad policy but is completely 
unacceptable and grossly inappropriate," MacKay had said.

- - The Canadian Press
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom