'A Joint In Other Hand': Joking About Trying Marijuana Not Funny, John Walters Says WASHINGTON - The White House's drug czar lashed out yesterday at Jean Chretien for relaxing marijuana laws and said Canadians are "ashamed" at the Prime Minister's recent jokes about smoking pot when he retires. John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy Office, said Mr. Chretien was being irresponsible when he said last week that he might try marijuana when he leaves office next February. Canadians "are concerned about the behaviour of their Prime Minister, joking that he is going to use marijuana in his retirement," Mr. Walters told the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. [continues 715 words]
Feds Move to Fast-Track Law to Decriminalize WOODSTOCK - Although possessing it is illegal again and police say they'll charge people for it, one marijuana advocate says pot smokers won't be changing their habits anytime soon. "I don't believe it's a real setback," said Jim Bender, owner of Lady Godiva's on Dundas Street. The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled Tuesday in favour of protecting medical marijuana users and reinstated simple possession for non-medical use as a criminal offence. [continues 533 words]
Local News - Watchers of Canada's continually evolving pot laws do not expect Tuesday's ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal, effectively re-criminalizing possession for recreational use, to be the last word. It's not clear, though, whether police will start laying charges for small amounts of pot after what amounted to a penalty-free summer. "I think it's temporary," said Rob Waddell, operator of Planetary Pride on Queen Street East and organizer of the annual HempFest gathering east of Sault Ste. Marie. [continues 484 words]
Cauchon Hopes For Legislation To Pass By Christmas Amendments Still Possible, Minister Says OTTAWA -- A day after the Ontario appeal court restored the criminal law banning marijuana possession, except for medical purposes, the federal government moved quickly to push through its controversial bill to ease criminal sanctions for pot smokers. Today, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon will employ a little-used legislative tool to refer the pot bill, not to the standing justice committee, but directly to a specially reconstituted committee, led by Liberal MP Paddy Torsney. [continues 651 words]
OTTAWA -- The federal government is fast-tracking its plan to decriminalize marijuana, but the controversial bill will get a major makeover in a bid to win over staunch opponents. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said the pot bill -- which decriminalizes 15 grams of weed but imposes stiffer penalties on traffickers and large growing operations -- is being hurried because it's among government priorities that are "key to society." Today, it will be referred to a special committee of MPs who have already reviewed Canada's drug strategy, instead of being studied by a full parliamentary committee. [continues 57 words]
Major Revamp in Works to Win Over Opponents OTTAWA -- The federal government is fast-tracking its plan to decriminalize marijuana, but the controversial bill will get a major makeover in a bid to win over staunch opponents. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said the pot bill - which decriminalizes 15 grams of weed but imposes stiffer penalties on traffickers and large grow operations - is being hurried because it's among government priorities that are "key to society." Today, it will be referred to a special committee of MPs who have already reviewed Canada's drug strategy, instead of being studied by a full parliamentary committee. [continues 254 words]
The federal government is fast-tracking its plan to decriminalize marijuana, but the controversial bill will get a major makeover in a bid to win over staunch opponents. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said the pot bill -- which decriminalizes 15 grams of weed but imposes stiffer penalties on traffickers and large growing operations -- is being hurried because it's among government priorities that are "key to society." Today, it will be referred to a special committee of MPs who have reviewed Canada's drug strategy, instead of being studied by a full parliamentary committee. [continues 165 words]
MANITOBA will be the first province in Canada to bring in a law that lets police take drug-impaired drivers off the road. Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh said the changes will allow police to administer roadside drug tests to drivers suspected of being high on marijuana, cocaine or prescription medication. Such testing is not recognized under current law in Manitoba. Those who fail the tests under the planned changes will have their driver's licences suspended for 24 hours or more, depending on the circumstances. [continues 553 words]
Provinces, territories said urging caution as Chretien government works to pass bill OTTAWA -- The federal government is seriously considering changing its controversial legislation to decriminalize marijuana possession by reducing the amount that would result in criminal charges to 10 grams from 15 grams. A government source said yesterday that Ottawa, under pressure from the provinces and territories to change the legislation, is amenable to reducing the amount as the Cannabis Reform Bill comes before the House of Commons for debate for the first time today. [continues 556 words]
OTTAWA -- The Liberal government, brushing aside objections by some of its own backbenchers, is moving to speed passage of controversial legislation to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana. House leader Don Boudria served notice yesterday he intends to refer the bill for early committee study, after just three hours of debate in the full Commons. The official referral will come today. It will put the bill in the hands of an all-party special committee that is already on record -- in a report delivered last year -- as favouring decriminalization in principle. [continues 157 words]
The federal government is rushing ahead with its plan to pass a bill to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Today the controversial legislation will be debated for three hours and then handed to a special parliamentary committee -- instead of the busy justice committee -- in hopes that it will pass through Parliament this fall. The bill is expected to be fast-tracked through public hearings, a process that normally takes several months. "My concern is this is being rushed through instead of doing this properly," said Vic Toews, Canadian Alliance justice critic. "We have significant issues that have not been addressed." [continues 231 words]
Provisions May Change In Bid To Pass Legislation Quickly OTTAWA -- The federal government is fast-tracking its plan to decriminalize marijuana, but the controversial bill will get a major makeover in a bid to win over staunch opponents. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said the pot bill --which decriminalizes possession of up to 15 grams of weed but imposes stiffer penalties on traffickers and large grow operations -- is being hurried because it's among priorities considered "key to society." Today, it will be referred to a special committee of MPs that has already reviewed Canada's drug strategy instead of going to a full parliamentary committee. [continues 250 words]
TORONTO -- Possessing small amounts of pot is illegal again in Ontario after an appeal court ruling yesterday struck down parts of Ottawa's medicinal marijuana program. In striking provisions it deemed unconstitutional, the Ontario Court of Appeal sealed a legal loophole opened in January that had rendered Canada's pot-possession laws all but unenforceable. "That little gap that we had in Ontario where the law did not exist and police could not arrest you for smoking (marijuana) is over," lawyer Alan Young said outside court. [continues 396 words]
A federal program to supply marijuana to the seriously ill dehumanizes users by forcing them onto the black market to obtain a reliable supply, the Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled. It said bedridden patients have little choice but to acquire criminal contacts and tolerate the high costs, inherent dangers and interruptions of an underworld supply. Yesterday's 3-0 ruling allows ill people to grow their own supply or obtain it from designated growers. At the same time, it upheld the law prohibiting possession of the drug. [continues 523 words]
OTTAWA -- Canadian Alliance MP James Moore is calling on the federal government to make stiffer penalties for the "cowards" who use date rape drugs. The British Columbia MP has tabled Private Member's Motion (M-458) to label GHB and Rohypnol as date-rape drugs and to classify them as weapons under the criminal code. The motion also calls for the federal government to launch a national awareness campaign and to establish standards through all police forces for enforcement of the law. [continues 512 words]
Private member's bill opposed by the government gets through House on a rare voice vote Government House Leader Don Boudria says he remains committed to getting the Liberals' bill to decriminalize marijuana possession adopted this fall, adding that he will move to strike a new committee this week to study the legislation. The Cannabis Reform Bill, C-38, has been languishing on the Order Paper for weeks amid speculation that its sponsor, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, may cave to increasing pressure from both inside and outside Parliament to scuttle the controversial piece of legislation. [continues 289 words]
Provincial justice ministers are meeting today with their federal counterpart, Martin Cauchon, to try to persuade him to abandon his bill to decriminalize marijuana possession. The final decision will be up to Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who wants to see the marijuana laws changed before he retires. Paul Martin, who will succeed Chretien in February, has said he doesn't support decriminalization, except where someone is caught with a "very, very small quantity" for personal use -- which sounds far short of the 15 grams or less the legislation would provide fines for instead of criminal penalties. [continues 138 words]
Those who frequent head shops and pick up rolling papers "for tobacco" may be looking over their shoulders for the law after all. In response to urging from provincial ministers, Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said this week he could be revising a bill to decriminalize marijuana to criminally charge repeat offenders. Initially the proposed bill would have taken possession of small amounts of pot out of the criminal realm and offenders would face fines only. If something could be done about repeat offenders, "we'll have a serious look at it," Cauchon said. [continues 280 words]
Cauchon Pushed To Drop Bill, Address More Pressing Needs Provincial justice ministers say they will lobby their federal counterpart, Martin Cauchon, to abandon his controversial bill to decriminalize marijuana in favour of more pressing justice initiatives that have been in the works for years. The provinces will make their unified pitch this week as Mr. Cauchon tries to convince them to buy into the federal marijuana bill, which he hopes will pass in Parliament this fall before Prime Minister Jean Chretien retires. [continues 663 words]
Opposition Groups Should Be Consulted First: Solicitor General EDMONTON - Alberta Solicitor General Heather Forsyth says she's frustrated with the federal government's refusal to budge or consult others on the decriminalization of marijuana possession. Forsyth believes decriminalization is inconsistent with the federal position that organized crime increasingly controls the grow operations and sale of the drug in this country. "To me there is a serious disconnect in their logic. Why say it's a very serious offence to grow it or sell it, but it's OK to smoke it?" she asked Tuesday, after discussing the issue at a conference of federal and provincial ministers in Quebec. [continues 407 words]
Ottawa - Paul Martin intends to rework legislation on same-sex marriages if he becomes prime minister, and will also consider changing some other controversial pieces of Prime Minister Jean Chretien's recent agenda, including a bill to decriminalize marijuana. A senior aide to Mr. Martin said the former finance minister believes the draft bill legalizing same-sex marriages should be "subject to amendment, debate and improvement." Just last month at the national Liberal caucus meeting in North Bay, Mr. Martin opened the door to the idea of replacing civil marriages with civil unions and leaving marriage up to churches. [continues 834 words]
As it turns out, Montreal's first cannabis cafe will not open on Oct. 1, as scheduled. The cafe owner had planned to sublet space in a building on St. Denis St., but on the weekend the landlord said he wouldn't allow it. Still, the idea has an air of inevitability. In Vancouver, Toronto, London, Ont., and Saint John, N.B., entrepreneurs have already exploited the ambiguity in Canada's drug laws by opening such coffeehouses. The businessperson behind the abortive effort on St. Denis St., Marc-Boris St. Maurice, says he's already scouting for a new location. [continues 610 words]
MONTREAL -- In many Montreal restaurants, you can bring your own booze. So what might be the next logical step? "It'll be bring-your-own-buzz," says Hugo St-Onge. The leader of the Bloc Pot, a provincial pro-marijuana party, he wants to open a cafe where you can light up your own cannabis. And he isn't alone. Across Canada, a small but growing number of coffee houses encourage customers to bring their own joints, taking advantage of the current legal ambiguity over simple possession of cannabis. [continues 354 words]
In Latin Quarter. With Court Rulings That Ease Penalties, Time Is Right For Bring-Your-Own-Joint Joint, Says Bloc Pot It will be located below a skateboard shop and wedged between bars and boutiques on a funky stretch of St. Denis St. Within the month, organizers of the Bloc Pot and Marijuana Party hope to open Canada's first Amsterdam-style cafe that will allow patrons to smoke cannabis while sipping their lattes. The basement cafe - one name being considered is Second Puff - won't actually sell grass, but customers will be encouraged to "bring your own joint." [continues 542 words]
Politics in Ottawa is often hardball; you have to watch every pitch and swing of the bat. On July 8, several Liberal backbenchers, who fiercely oppose the decriminalization of marijuana and happen to support Paul Martin's leadership campaign very strongly, did something very stupid. They went to the American embassy in Ottawa to talk to them about defeating their government's own marijuana legislation. Dan McTeague, Roger Gallaway, and Brenda Chamber-lain were joined by a few other MPs, no more than a handful. [continues 733 words]
With Martin Cauchon as our country's justice minister, justice has not been served. The gun-registry controversy, the decriminalization of marijuana and the recent decision not to appeal the Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage all demonstrate this minister's incompetence when it comes to the service of justice. I join many other Canadians in this criticism and demand his immediate resignation. Let justice truly reign. James J. Springall Waterloo [end]
DETROIT -- The United States is being inundated with potent marijuana from Canada, and the problem would be exacerbated if that nation decriminalized the drug, the U.S. drug czar said Friday. While marijuana possession would remain illegal under the proposed Canadian legislation, those found with about a half ounce or less would receive a citation similar to a traffic ticket. Some Canadian drug traffickers have used selective breeding to grow marijuana that has up to 30 percent content of THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana, drug czar John P. Walters said. In comparison, much of the marijuana used in the 1970s had less than 1 percent content of THC. [continues 335 words]
Colleagues Recall Munro Being Ahead Of His Time In Backing Progressive Laws John Munro left Hamilton with the numerous projects he was able to get built with bountiful amounts of federal cash, but he left a footprint on the national scene as well. In at least one instance, he was ahead of his time. In 1970, he promised that the Liberal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau would relax the law on marijuana use by Christmas. He proclaimed it would be totally irresponsible if the government found a significant number of people smoked pot and it did not ease the law. [continues 525 words]
U.S. Warns Canadians Making The 'Crack Of Marijuana' DETROIT -- The United States is being inundated with potent marijuana from Canada, and the problem would be exacerbated if Ottawa decriminalized the drug, the U.S. drug czar said yesterday. While marijuana possession would remain illegal under the proposed Canadian legislation, those found with up to 15 grams would receive a citation similar to a traffic ticket. Violators would be ticketed and ordered to pay fines ranging from $100 to $400 Cdn. [continues 345 words]
Here we go again: Another report warning that organized-crime mobsters are expanding lucrative marijuana grow operations in Canada. "The highest level of criminal organizations are involved in this and there are huge amounts of money being made," RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli said of the latest Criminal Intelligence Service Canada report. And this is supposed to be a shock, a burning revelation? I think not. Of course there is crime and big piles of illegal loot being made on marijuana, all happening under the government's terminally hopeless policy of prohibition. [continues 422 words]
North of the Border, Marijuana Policy Is Changing Radically. and The White House Is Not Happy In November 2001, when Alain Berthiaume - Montreal's most prominent marijuana activist - was arrested on drug charges, the best advice might have been to plead guilty. Berthiaume, who owns a head shop, a grow shop, a seed band and a pot-culture magazine, was caught organizing his third annual Cannabis Cup - a public competition for marijuana growers. Several months later, the police raided his home and found 1,2000 cannabis plants - what Berthiaume calls his "small plantation" [continues 1858 words]
REGINA -- Cannabis crusader Marc Emery of B.C. was back in Regina Tuesday, launching a constitutional challenge to his pot possession charge. Emery, 45, who runs the B.C. Marijuana Party and has been a vociferous critic of Canada's marijuana laws, entered a not guilty plea on a charge of possessing under 30 grams of the drug. The charge stems from July 12 when Emery lit up a marijuana pipe on the steps of the Regina police station with several officers looking on. He was arrested and spent seven hours in police cells. [continues 307 words]
B.C. cannabis crusader Marc Emery was back in Regina Tuesday, launching a constitutional challenge to his pot possession charge. Emery, 45, who runs the B.C. Marijuana Party and has been a vociferous critic of Canada's marijuana laws, entered a not guilty plea on a charge of possessing under 30 grams of the drug. The charge stems from July 12 when Emery lit up a marijuana pipe on the steps of the Regina police station with several officers looking on. He was arrested and spent seven hours in police cells. [continues 360 words]
Bill C-38, the so-called Decriminalization of Marijuana Bill, appears to take a more liberalized approach to cannabis. While cannabis possession will still be illegal, the bill would provide alternative penalties (fines) for possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana. Between 15 and 30 grams will mean a fine, or up to six months imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine. Penalties for all levels of production remain, including one-to-three plants at a $5,000 fine and/or 12 months in jail, and up to 14 years in jail (double the current maximum term of imprisonment) for 50 or more plants. [continues 566 words]
* 1923 - Cannabis added to the Schedule of prohibited drugs of the Opium and Narcotic Drug Act. * 1973 - Final Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs (the Le Dain Commission). The report recommended decriminalization of personal use of marijuana. * 1996 - The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act replaces the Narcotic Control Act and Parts III and IV of the Food and Drugs Act which created a summary conviction offence of possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana or one gram or less of cannabis resin. [continues 126 words]
Government's Bill To Decriminalize Marijuana Has Its Share Of Naysayers For some MPs, it's a "well-balanced" piece of legislation that goes after the true criminals and eases off the young people who are caught with an experimental joint. But for others, the Cannabis Reform Bill (C-38) is a huge "contradiction" that sends the wrong message to users of cannabis and further threatens our already-tenuous relationship with the U.S. There is also no guarantee, critics say, that judges will apply the bill's penalties if they become law, which could encourage traffickers and large-scale growers to increase their illegal activities. Moreover, some critics declare that the bill serves only to boost the profile of the Liberal party among certain pockets of voters. [continues 1490 words]
'Dump It Or Go Elsewhere': Concert-Goers Who Smuggle It In Will Be Asked To Hand It Over TORONTO - This morning, up to 450,000 people are expected to stream through the gates of Downsview Park, where they will be searched by one of 1,500 private security guards before gaining access to the Rolling Stones concert. If they are carrying marijuana, they will be presented with a plastic container and two options -- tunes or tokes. "They have a choice to make," Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino said. "They can dump it or they can take it with them and go elsewhere." [continues 434 words]
University of Toronto law professor Kent Roach says the public is understandably confused about the uncertain status of Canada's pot laws. He says the courts appear to be signalling to policy makers in Ottawa that they should not take a piecemeal approach, but should move ahead with comprehensive legislation that will be applied uniformly to all Canadians. Roach explained the situation in an interview with The Spectator. The cases he refers to are described above. ROACH: The issues of medical marijuana and its recreational use are getting mixed in a way that I think is confusing for the public. But I think they are united in that they're both about consequences of the Parker decision. [continues 839 words]
Pot smokers are in legal limbo and for the moment it doesn't matter if the joint they're lighting up is for medical or purely recreational purposes. Two cases before the Ontario Court of Appeal and a trio of challenges in the Supreme Court of Canada, however, could clear up confusion about whether it's illegal to possess a little marijuana. Police in the province stopped laying charges for possession of less than 30 grams (one ounce) in the wake of a precedent-setting ruling on May 16 from a Windsor judge. Superior Court Justice Stephen Rogin upheld a lower court's decision to acquit a Windsor teenager on a legal technicality, effectively taking "simple possession" off the books in Ontario. [continues 965 words]
According to Rick Mercer, Canada's resident satirist, the summer of 2003 witnessed the dawn of a new era when "we woke up and suddenly were a European country." What he's referring to is the simultaneous arrival, based of a string of recent court decisions, of gay marriage and legal marijuana. During the last month or so, gay and lesbian couples from across North America have been flocking to Vancouver and Toronto to obtain civil marriage licences. And because of the federal government's failure three years ago to heed a court order to rewrite marijuana laws, Ontario courts have refused to convict users caught with small amounts of marijuana. Last week, the Toronto police had a call from a citizen reporting that her personal stash had been stolen -- they logged the theft as a crime, but not the possession of marijuana. [continues 1006 words]
Strip Drivers Of Licences, Says Safety Council Canadians suspected of driving under the influence of marijuana should be temporarily stripped of their licences, says the Canada Safety Council. In the absence of a reliable test to detect drug use, provincial governments should allow police to forbid driving for up to 24 hours, just as they do in cases of impaired driving, the council recommends in a report. "These suspensions remove potentially dangerous drivers from the road," says the safety council. "They provide a stern and effective warning without the punitive lifetime consequences of a criminal record and a costly criminal court case." [continues 232 words]
You won't see people running around Midland smoking pot just yet, but local police aren't laying any minor possession charges, either. Midland Police Service is still waiting to see what happens in the Ontario Court of Appeal before charging anyone with possession of small amounts of marijuana. Chief Paul Hamelin said he is keeping track of people who are caught with the substance, but not handing out tickets. "We are still seizing the drugs, and creating a record of the incident," said Hamelin. [continues 604 words]
TORONTO - The Canadian government announced on Wednesday an interim plan that will provide marijuana on a regular basis to several hundred people who are authorized to use the drug for medicinal reasons. Coming six weeks after the federal government introduced a bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana and only days after it approved a trial "safe injection site" in Vancouver for intravenous drug users, the marijuana plan was one more sign that Ottawa is moving in a very different direction on drug policy from the Bush administration. [continues 436 words]
Can Justice Minister Martin Cauchon actually show us a cop who would lay a criminal charge for simple possession of a couple of marijuana joints? Very doubtful, unless there are other circumstances at play, other actual crimes being committed. Which begs the question, why the rush to decriminalize? Most importantly, when the Americans are so determined not to allow even small amounts of a drug they consider harmful across the border, why would we rush headlong into changing a law that for practical purposes doesn't need changing? [continues 472 words]
REGINA -- Although Saskat-chewan courts have ruled Canada's law against the possession of marijuana is still in effect here, some judges are giving out the most lenient sentences possible. Earlier this week, provincial court Judge Diane Morris gave a 43-year-old Regina man an absolute discharge after he pleaded guilty to possession of 14 grams of marijuana. It's the latest in a series of cases where Saskatchewan judges have made reference to the changing landscape of marijuana laws in Canada. [continues 422 words]
A leading U.S. anti-drug campaigner is expected to warn Canadian officials Tuesday that marijuana decriminalization could be viewed as a threat that, in the post-Sept. 11 world, might provoke stricter border controls. Barry Crane, deputy director for supply reduction at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), is in Ottawa Tuesday for meetings with federal government officials. He is the latest of a series of high-level representatives to criticize Canadian efforts to change course in the struggle against drug use. [continues 379 words]
OTTAWA (CP) - A top U.S. envoy will consult with several Canadian government departments as he helps co-ordinate a cross-border drug crackdown to follow Canada's controversial new marijuana law. U.S. deputy drug czar Barry Crane arrives in Ottawa on Tuesday, when he will reiterate American fears that more people might try carrying their stash across the border once Canada's pot-decriminalization bill passes. He will ask federal officials how they plan to stave off such an increase, then take his findings to the White House. [continues 410 words]
OTTAWA (AP) - A top U.S. envoy will consult with several Canadian government departments as he helps coordinate a cross-border drug crackdown to follow Canada's controversial new marijuana law. U.S. deputy drug czar Barry Crane arrives in Ottawa on Tuesday, when he will reiterate American fears that more people might try carrying their stash across the border once Canada's pot-decriminalization bill passes. He will ask federal officials how they plan to stave off such an increase, then take his findings to the White House. [continues 120 words]
Although Saskatchewan courts have ruled Canada's law against the possession of marijuana is still in effect here, some judges are giving out the most lenient sentences possible. Earlier this week, Provincial Court Judge Diane Morris gave a 43-year-old Regina man an absolute discharge after he pleaded guilty to possession of 14 grams of marijuana. It's the latest in a series of cases where Saskatchewan judges have made reference to the changing landscape of marijuana laws in Canada. [continues 540 words]
The federal government has proposed a 5-year strategy to combat illicit drug use, but critics say the framework sits on a flimsy financial foundation. The $245-million strategy is based in part on lighter penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana and on increased public education about risks associated with use of the drug. "These legislative reforms will ensure that our possession laws can be enforced more effectively while at the same time [we] toughen penalties against cannabis grow operations," Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said May 27. "Our message to Canadians and especially our young people is clear -- marijuana is harmful and it will remain illegal." [continues 160 words]
