OTTAWA (CP) -- The Canadian Alliance has backed away from its stand on legalizing marijuana for medicinal use and abandoning jail sentences for simple possession.

Last week, the Alliance Web site suggested the party would not punish simple possession of small amounts of cannabis with jail terms and would "allow its use for serious medicinal reasons."

"We will remove the threat of jail terms for simple possession of small amounts of cannabis, and allow its use for serious medicinal reasons," the section read.

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