Millions of criminals are Canadians buying pot from Canadians, writes Jeremy Kemeny Everyone smoking recreational marijuana right now is a criminal. That is according to Canadian law and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who - planning to legalize this summer - has encouraged authorities to enforce these rules. There are a lot of criminals. In 2016, an estimated 4.9 million Canadians between the ages of 15 and 64 years old spent money on pot, which translates into $5.7 billion according to a new Statistics Canada report. And 94 per cent of that, the agency said, was consumed illegally. Your child, sibling or parent might be guilty. You probably have a cousin that's guilty. Some of your friends are likely guilty. That's millions Canadians guilty of possession of cannabis. [continues 662 words]
Harsh federal sentencing policies are propelling the country back to a time of massive prison overcrowding and riots, according to a senior Department of Justice adviser who recently retired, David Daubney. With a government omnibus crime bill on the verge of becoming law, Mr. Daubney said he felt compelled to issue a warning that federal priorities threaten to undo decades of correctional research and reform. "Overcrowding is already severe at both the federal and provincial levels," Mr. Daubney said in an interview. "It's going to get tougher, and prisons will be more violent places. We may go back to the era of riots in prisons. I'm afraid it is going to get worse before it gets any better." [continues 586 words]
It's a political rite of passage -- answering the question "did you inhale?" Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak on Thursday admitted to smoking marijuana, joining a long list of high-profile politicians quizzed on their reefer habits, including U.S. President Barack Obama and Premier Dalton McGuinty. "Yes, I have," Hudak replied Thursday as he reannounced his campaign promise to have a registry of homes once used as grow-ops or crystal meth labs to protect buyers. "I was wondering if this would come up. [continues 633 words]
The final installment of a three-part series: Cannabis use began thousands of years ago, so why is it an issue now? For thousands of years, humans have used cannabis for a variety of purposes. Hemp fibres were a source for rope and cloth as long a 10,000 years ago. It has been used to make paper in China starting 2,000 years ago. All vertebrates, including mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles have naturally co-evolved with cannabis and have receptors for and produce substances called "endocannabinoids," which are "substances that are nearly identical to compounds found in the cannabis plant, hence their name," says Dr. Alan Shackelford, a Harvard and University of Heidelberg School of Medicine-trained physician. [continues 821 words]
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government is expected to reintroduce a slate of justice bills, but experts predict the measures will only increase incarceration rates at great expense to taxpayers. As crime rates in Canada fall, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government is expected to reintroduce a slate of justice bills to beef up sentences and enforcement, but justice experts predict the measures will only increase incarceration rates at great expense to taxpayers, and political observers say the Tories' stance will energize their base and appeal to law-abiding swing voters. [continues 1506 words]
If Vancouver has the equivalent of a public square, it's the fountain outside the old Vancouver Art Gallery downtown where, last week, I smelled an unmistakable aroma coming from the vicinity of two young men rolling white filter papers. Pot. Right out in the open -- in full view of, well, everybody. I shouldn't have been taken aback; this same smell can be picked up in any Vancouver park or corner any day of the week. It surprised me when I moved west 20 years ago. These days I'm accustomed to it. [continues 483 words]
Liberal MP Keith Martin, who introduced a private member's bill this week, rightly maintains that 'the war on drugs has been a complete failure' If Vancouver has the equivalent of a public square, it's the fountain outside the old Vancouver Art Gallery downtown, where last week, I smelled an unmistakable aroma coming from the vicinity of two young men rolling white filter papers. Pot. Right out there in the open -- in full view of, well, everybody. I shouldn't have been taken aback; this same smell can be picked up in any Vancouver park or on a corner any day of the week. It once surprised me when I moved west 20 years ago. These days I'm accustomed to it. [continues 486 words]
Conservative Government's Recent Anti-Pot Efforts Misplaced The other night, some close friends of mine were smoking a marijuana joint outside of a bar. A plainclothes bouncer outside tipped off another bouncer inside and my friends were informed that the bar has a strict anti-drug policy. They weren't allowed back inside to finish their drinks. All of this is a bit surprising. These days, it's common in Western Canada to see folks smoking joints outside pubs and clubs with the cigarette smokers. And an establishment promoting and selling liquor is hardly anti-drug. [continues 1447 words]
It sounded like a cool idea at the time, but were we ever really going to decriminalize marijuana? Is pot legal? The answer to that seems as cloudy as, well, you know. Responding to the complaint of a Toronto man charged with possession, the Ontario Court recently found Canada's marijuana laws to be without merit. "The government told the public not to worry about access to marijuana," said Judge Howard Borenstein. "They have a policy but not law.. In my view that is unconstitutional." [continues 1136 words]
In August 2002, then-federal justice minister Martin Cauchon, in a speech to the Canadian Bar Association, asked why our society devoted so many of our legal resources to the prosecution of cannabis offences and whether these prosecutions actually improved the safety of our communities. The question remains valid because of the failure of the former Liberal government to move ahead with the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana. The result is that police are once again arresting scores of Canadians on a criminal charge that was within days of being removed from the Criminal Code. [continues 162 words]
The U.S. 'Persecution' Of Marc Emery Leaves The Justice Minister With Few Choices, Most Of Them Invidious Say what you will about Marc Emery, but in getting himself indicted on marijuana charges by a United States grand jury, the Prince of Pot might well achieve what he's failed to realize through decades of activism -- his life ambition of legalizing marijuana. This summer, Emery was indicted on charges of conspiring to manufacture and distribute marijuana seeds and to engage in money laundering. He's now on bail awaiting an extradition hearing and, if extradited and convicted, Emery will face anywhere from 10 years to life in a U.S. prison. [continues 1278 words]
The Once-Outspoken Lawyer Is Now Criticized For His Support Of Initiatives That Impinge Free Speech And Other Civil Liberties As a law professor and MP, Irwin Cotler was well known as a human rights champion, but civil libertarians say the justice minister's halo has been slipping since he joined the federal cabinet 20 months ago. Human rights advocates say the once-outspoken lawyer who fought for the release of Nelson Mandela and other prisoners of conscience has become a major player and apologist for a raft of government initiatives that impinge on Canadians' privacy, free speech and other liberties. [continues 962 words]
The City of Vancouver has delivered the latest salvo in the war on the war on marijuana, and the city's position falls neatly in line with that of many drug-war critics, including the Senate committee on marijuana and, indeed, The Vancouver Sun. (The Sun called for marijuana legalization as far back as 2000.) The city's report, Preventing Harm from Psychoactive Substance Use, recommends that the federal government legalize both the possession of, and trade, in marijuana. This is a far cry from Ottawa's proposed legislation, which would decriminalize possession, but leave trafficking offences as they are and actually increase penalties for marijuana cultivation. [continues 1098 words]
Let's send Judge Murray Cain a large anchor. Somehow we have to bring him back to earth. Cain is the Saint John, N.B., judge who recently sentenced a pregnant woman named Lynn Wood, 32, to a year in jail. Her crime? Selling marijuana to an undercover officer. Cain's action is a good deal more reprehensible than Wood's. Admittedly, it's not entirely fair to blame a single judge, however dim-witted and dusty, for failing to deal brilliantly with a situation that should make every Canadian ashamed. Our foolish and destructive laws against the sale and use of drugs, particularly marijuana, cannot be enforced because vast numbers of Canadians - about 4.5 million in 2004 - routinely flout them. You can't jail 14 per cent of the population. [continues 724 words]
OTTAWA - So we're trying to link murdered cops with marijuana grow-ops. It's a very loose connection. The Mayerthorpe madman who murdered four RCMP officers Thursday was a chronic wingnut, a career criminal who might've shot to kill anyone messing with his dogs just as easily as his dope. James Roszko had a date with fate coming sooner or later and his four victims, average age 27, were unfortunate enough to have stumbled, and perhaps bumbled, into his line of fire. [continues 672 words]
So we're trying to link murdered cops with marijuana grow ops. It's a very loose connection. The Mayerthorpe madman who murdered four RCMP officers Thursday was a chronic wing nut, a career criminal who might've shot to kill anyone messing with his dogs just as easily as his dope. James Roszko had a date with fate coming sooner or later and his four victims, average age 27, were unfortunate enough to have stumbled, and perhaps bumbled, into his line of fire. [continues 673 words]
Grow Operators Deserve Jail Terms, Minister Says OTTAWA -- Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan warned judges yesterday to take marijuana laws seriously and said they will be held to account if jail terms are not imposed on those who run grow operations. "We are putting the onus on the courts - the judiciary, in a sense - to take this crime seriously," Ms. McLellan said at a Liberal policy convention in Ottawa. "This is not a victimless crime, and therefore I think the judiciary needs to start to reflect the harsh reality of illegal grow-ops and the consequences for our communities and society in the sentences they hand out." [continues 550 words]
Time The Feds Got Off The Pot Stockwell Day tried it. The former Justice Minister Martin Cauchon used it. I would bet that well over 50 percent of the members of the House of Commons have tried it. The late Canadian icon Pierre Berton smoked it regularly for the last 45 years. He said it helped him to relax. Last October, Berton appeared on CBC's satire show, Rick Mercer's Monday Report, offering tips on how to roll it and actually recommended his book, The National Dream, as an excellent rolling surface. He had been a recreational user since the 1960s, saying he'd reached a stage in his life where he didn't give a damn what he said or what people thought. [continues 812 words]
The federal government has reintroduced a bill to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. It means persons caught with 15 grams of marijuana or less will face a fine rather than a criminal charge. "Cannabis use is harmful and it will remain illegal in Canada. What would change is the approach to enforcement," said Justice Minister Irwin Cotler in a news release issued Monday. "We are proposing a more consistent application of our cannabis possession laws." Previous legislation died when Parliament was dissolved for the June federal election. It had previously died during the changeover from former prime minister Jean Chretien to Prime Minister Paul Martin. [continues 194 words]
The federal government is poised to reintroduce controversial legislation to decriminalize marijuana and will accompany it with a bill giving police the power to force drivers to take a test, when warranted, to prove whether they are driving while stoned. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he plans to introduce both pieces of legislation in the next month. Nor does Cotler have any plans to change the legislation decriminalizing marijuana first introduced by his predecessor, Martin Cauchon. "It might get changed in committee but we are basically reintroducing that legislation." [continues 317 words]
OTTAWA - The federal government is poised to reintroduce controversial legislation to decriminalize marijuana and will accompany it with a bill giving police the power to force drivers to take a test, when warranted, to prove whether they are driving while stoned. In an interview with The Montreal Gazette, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he plans to introduce both pieces of legislation sometime in the next month. Nor does Cotler have any plans to change the legislation decriminalizing marijuana first introduced by his predecessor Martin Cauchon. "It might get changed in committee but we are basically reintroducing that legislation." [continues 307 words]
OTTAWA -- The federal government is poised to reintroduce controversial legislation to decriminalize marijuana and will accompany it with a bill giving police the power to force drivers to take a test, when warranted, to prove whether they are driving while stoned. In an interview with The Montreal Gazette, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he plans to introduce both pieces of legislation sometime in the next month. Nor does Cotler have any plans to change the legislation decriminalizing marijuana first introduced by his predecessor Martin Cauchon. "It might get changed in committee but we are basically reintroducing that legislation." [continues 340 words]
OTTAWA - The federal government will reintroduce controversial legislation to decriminalize marijuana and will accompany it with a bill giving police the power to force drivers to take a test, when warranted, to prove whether they are driving while stoned. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said in an interview he plans to introduce both pieces of legislation sometime in the next month. The legislation will mirror a bill first introduced by his predecessor Martin Cauchon, he said. "It might get changed in committee but we are basically reintroducing that legislation." [continues 69 words]
Justice Minister Plans More Changes. Legislation Would Decriminalize Pot And Allow Cops To Test Whether Drivers Are Stoned The federal government is poised to reintroduce controversial legislation to decriminalize marijuana and will accompanying it with a bill giving police the power to force drivers to take a test to prove whether they are driving while stoned. In an interview with The Gazette, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he plans to introduce both pieces of legislation sometime in the next month. Nor does Cotler have any plans to change the legislation decriminalizing marijuana first introduced by his predecessor Martin Cauchon. [continues 502 words]
Justice Minister Also Plans Bill To Test For Stoned Drivers OTTAWA -- The federal government plans to reintroduce controversial legislation to decriminalize marijuana and will accompany it with a bill giving police power to force drivers to take a test, when warranted, to determine if they are driving while stoned. In an interview with the Montreal Gazette, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he plans to introduce both pieces of legislation in the next month. Cotler has no plans to change the legislation decriminalizing marijuana first introduced by his predecessor Martin Cauchon. [continues 273 words]
The federal government is poised to reintroduce controversial legislation to decriminalize marijuana and will accompany it with a bill giving police the power to force drivers to take a test, when warranted, to prove whether they are driving while stoned. In an interview, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he plans to introduce both pieces of legislation sometime in the next month. Nor does Mr. Cotler have any plans to change the legislation decriminalizing marijuana first introduced by his predecessor Martin Cauchon. "It might get changed in committee but we are basically reintroducing that legislation." [continues 408 words]
OTTAWA -- Former justice minister Martin Cauchon will call for Paul Martin's government to move quickly to pass legislation on same-sex marriage and decriminalizing marijuana -- telling a Harvard University audience today that real political leaders meet such tricky issues head-on. Mr. Cauchon, now a private lawyer who has indicated that he plans an eventual bid to succeed Mr. Martin as Liberal leader, will deliver his speech on the controversial issues at a critical time, just as a minority Parliament opens and Supreme Court hearings on same-sex marriage are set to begin. [continues 990 words]
With Paul Martin's announcement that the government will reintroduce legislation decriminalizing the possession of marijuana, the old debate has resumed. On one side are the hardliners who say that any softening of the marijuana laws puts the nation at risk of becoming the world's biggest hippie commune. On the other side are those who think it's absurd that a 16 year old caught with a joint should be saddled with a criminal record -- or that an adult should be threatened with jail simply because he chooses to relax on a Friday night with a puff of marijuana instead of a belt of scotch. [continues 861 words]
Fill The Hill Rally Goes Ahead Despite Wrangling Between Marijuana Party And NDP Canada's budding marijuana movement could show some internal divisions when activists from across the country gather this weekend on Parliament Hill. The election finds the movement caught between two Marcs: rock musician, Marc Boris St-Maurice, laid-back leader of the ever-fledgling federal Marijuana Party, and his former ally, B.C.'s millionaire seed salesman, Marc Emery, who now crusades for Jack Layton's NDP. They'll present their respective cases at Saturday's "Fill The Hill" rally. [continues 1165 words]
Whistleblower, Pot Laws Won't Move Forward OTTAWA - The Martin Liberals are leaving a few legislative apples to rot as they prepare for an expected election, including proposed laws that would protect federal whistleblowers and children. A much-anticipated change to the Criminal Code that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana is among the bills that would die on the order paper if Prime Minister Paul Martin calls a general vote that's widely expected to be held June 28. [continues 424 words]
THE LIBERALS' BILL TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA WAS BAD POLICY AND DESERVES TO DIE ON THE ORDER PAPER. Barring unforeseen plot twists, a federal election will soon be called and a bill decriminalizing marijuana will go up in flames. As a supporter of marijuana reform, I say, goodbye and good riddance. Decriminalization was not only bad public policy, the bill's production and presentation were deceptive, even fraudulent -- as demonstrated by documents obtained under the Access to Information Act. From the beginning, Martin Cauchon, the justice minister who promoted decriminalization, promised an open discussion, a theme repeated by the throne speech of Sept. 30, 2002, which said the government would "act on the results of parliamentary consultations with Canadians on options for change in our drug laws, including the possibility of the decriminalization of marijuana possession." [continues 838 words]
Last month Langley-Abbotsford Conservative MP Randy White said he had a list of 80 to 90 people who were convicted cannabis growers who were also collecting welfare. He said those people should pay, with proceeds going to drug treatment. Great idea - pot growers should pay, taxes and business fees as legal operations. Communities like ours could tap into the billions in revenue made in the industry and apply those funds to much-needed treatment for people addicted to alcohol and hard drugs. [continues 578 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's 6-3 decision last month to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. [continues 350 words]
I couldn't agree more with Christopher Foulds (U.S. gets its way with pot decision, guest column Victoria News, Dec. 31). That Jean Chretien's justice minister, Martin Cauchon, had to ask U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft for permission to liberalize Canada's marijuana laws is, indeed, a laughable act of neo-colonial submission to a foreign power. Chretien's proposed legislation, it seems, was merely a red herring, a token of "socially liberal" fakery from a PM who pushed Canada more to the right wing than his neo-conservative predecessor, Brian Mulroney. [continues 137 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's recent 6-3 decision to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. [continues 112 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's 6-3 decision to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. [continues 351 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's 6-3 decision week to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. [continues 294 words]
It was a year of the good, the bad and the ugly. The BC Civil Liberties Association has put together their picks for the people who made a difference to freedom in 2003. Beginning with the bad, Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz abandoned his libertarian roots and suggested Canadians should adopt national identity cards and remarked torture of Canadians is a legitimate investigative tool, says the association. Also on the national identification card bandwagon was former Immigration Minister Denis Coderre. The federal government is also on the association's list for the worst of 2003. The feds failed to prevent Maher Arar's deportation to Syria where he was tortured. [continues 581 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's 6-3 decision last week to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. [continues 350 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's 6-3 decision to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. [continues 350 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's 6-3 decision to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided that the possession law is constitutionally valid. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. That Cauchon presented the pot proposal to a foreign country before allowing Canada's own House of Commons to view it was astounding. That the issue didn't generate a wave of outrage among the public is even more appalling. [continues 153 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's recent 6-3 decision to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. [continues 351 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's 6-3 decision this week to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. [continues 350 words]
Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's 6-3 decision this week to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar. Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. [continues 168 words]
MPs Can Amend Law: New Justice Minister OTTAWA - The Martin Liberals plan to bring back the same marijuana legislation that died when Parliament adjourned last month, instead of making any immediate amendments. Irwin Cotler, the Justice Minister, said he will "maintain the legislative policy docket as it was," instead of lowering the amount of marijuana possession that will be decriminalized. That means the bill, to be introduced along with several other failed justice bills, will propose decriminalization of 15 grams or less, so offenders would be fined instead of slapped with a criminal record. [continues 383 words]
OTTAWA -- The Martin Liberals plan to bring back the same piece of pot legislation that died when Parliament adjourned last month instead of making any immediate amendments. Instead of lowering the bar for the amount of marijuana possession that will be decriminalized, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he will "maintain the legislative policy docket as it was." That means the bill, to be introduced along with several other failed justice bills, will propose decriminalization of 15 grams or less, so offenders would be fined instead of slapped with a criminal record. [continues 420 words]
OTTAWA -- The Martin Liberals plan to bring back the same piece of pot legislation that died when Parliament adjourned last month instead of making any immediate amendments. Instead of lowering the bar for the amount of marijuana possession that will be decriminalized, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he will "maintain the legislative policy docket as it was." That means the bill, to be introduced along with several other failed justice bills, will propose decriminalization of 15 grams or less, so offenders would be fined instead of slapped with a criminal record. [continues 281 words]
Prime Minister Paul Martin says he'll press ahead with legislation, first proposed under Jean Chretien, to eliminate criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. But he hinted he'd like to see the legislation toughened and invited a parliamentary committee to consider amendments on several points, including lowering the limit for non-criminal possession from the current proposal of 15 grams. Martin said Thursday that he sees a health risk in pot use and observed that "any doctor will tell you it's far from the best thing for you." [continues 317 words]
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin says he'll press ahead with legislation, first proposed under Jean Chretien, to eliminate criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. But he hinted he'd like to see the legislation toughened and invited a parliamentary committee to consider amendments on several points, including lowering the limit for non-criminal possession from the currrent proposal of 15 grams. Martin said today that he sees a health risk in pot use and observed that "any doctor will tell you it's far from the best thing for you." [continues 431 words]
Seeks to Redefine 'Small Amount' OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Paul Martin says he'll press ahead with legislation, first proposed under Jean Chretien, to eliminate criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. But he hinted yesterday he'd like to see a new definition of what constitutes a "small amount" and invited a parliamentary committee to consider lowering the limit from the original proposal of 15 grams. Martin told reporters he sees a health risk in pot use and observed that "any doctor will tell you it's far from the best thing for you." [continues 412 words]
