POT CONTROVERSY RAGES IN OTTAWA

Alcock Breaks Party Ranks, Says He Supports Legalizing Marijuana

OTTAWA - A senior federal Liberal cabinet minister broke ranks Friday
with the government's opposition to legalizing marijuana as debate on
issues around pot raged at the party's policy convention in light of
the deaths of four Alberta Mounties during a grow-op raid.

Treasury Board President Reg Alcock said he will vote to legalize pot
if a resolution on the issue comes up at the policy meeting this
weekend, noting he has voted in favour of the idea at party policy
conventions going back to 1978.

"If we actually wanted to break the back of organized crime, we would
be better off to control it," said Alcock. "When you have these things
underground, what you end up fuelling is organized crime."

He said "normal policing" has failed to stamp out pot, but that
legalization would provide "a better chance of controlling it than we
do right now."

Alcock's views stood in stark contrast to those of Public Safety
Minister Anne McLellan, who told reporters "we should not be sending
mixed signals around how we as a government view this."

Puritanical Zealot

The former health minister acknowledged she has been accused of being
a "puritanical zealot" over her opposition to legalizing pot.

"This is a dangerous substance. We know it is a more potent carcinogen
than smoke tobacco. That's what the research tells us. That's
irrefutable. That's science," she said.

Among the resolutions at the meeting is a proposal to have the Liberal
party encourage the government to legalize marijuana for reasons that
include making the traffic in pot safer and allowing the government to
"make $3 billion in tax revenue a year."

The shooting deaths of four Mounties during the ill-fated raid near
Mayerthorpe, in northwestern Alberta, spilled over into the corridors
of the conference centre and hotel where federal Liberals are holding
a four-day party convention, forcing ministers to defend the
government's policies on illegal drugs.

Much of the discussion revolved around the government's proposed
marijuana decriminalization bill, which would soften penalties for
possession of small amounts of pot, but toughen penalties for growers.

Growers could face sentences of 18 months to 14 years in jail
depending on the number of plants they were caught with.

Bill C-38 has passed first reading in the House and is now subject to
review by a parliamentary committee.

McLellan noted that the bill includes provisions to force judges to
take a harder line on illegal grow ops, including an explanation in
written reasons if there is no jail time for an offence.

"All of us, whatever role we play in society, need to understand the
seriousness of illegal grow ops and the fact that they are not, in any
way, a victimless crime, that, in fact, most grow ops are controlled
by and run for the benefit of organized crime," said McLellan.

"I would say all of us, including the judiciary, need to understand
what is at stake here. Yesterday was a horrible and tragic reminder."

Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said the government's legislation
includes provisions to deal with grow ops.

"This tragic event highlighted a problem of which we were aware before
and which has to be addressed in a comprehensive way," he said.

Cotler said he thought the RCMP might need more money to help in the
fight against grow ops.

"My own view is we may have to seek enhanced resources," he said. "...
more money."

McLellan said that was a debate for another day.

"I'm sure the question of resources will arise and therefore we need
to take a very tough look at whether more resources are going to be
required."

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein said Ottawa should scrap its move to
decriminalize pot.

"They should abandon any notion of decriminalization," he told
reporters in Calgary.

Klein said the officers were slain at a "significant" grow op with 300
plants worth $300,000.

The Alberta premier tore into the federal Liberals for being
inconsistent on marijuana, talking about tougher penalties for growers
while moving to decriminalize the drug.

B.C. Liberal delegate Ginny Hasselfield said she doesn't believe
tougher jail sentences would have made a difference in terms of the
Alberta shootout.

"I don't know if any legislation on grow-ops would prevent something
like that from happening."

But Hasselfield said a mandatory federal jail term might cut into the
ability of organized criminal groups to recruit individuals, including
recent immigrants, to operate and tend to the marijuana plants in the
grow-ops.

She said some some streets in Surrey and Fleetwood have seven to 10
grow-ops. Some are booby-trapped, posing a danger to firefighters if
equipment malfunctions in the unoccupied houses.

"This is a big issue."

Maximum Sentence

The B.C. resolution was endorsed Friday of the Canadian Association of
Chiefs of Police, which wants both a higher maximum sentence and a
minimum jail term for operators.

"We think it's time to take a look at this, especially now," said
association president Edgar MacLeod.

"This has been a horrible tragedy and this will hopefully cause us
some time for reflection and come back together and take a long hard
look at this problem," he told the Vancouver Sun.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said his party continues to oppose
the government's legislation, but that he was reluctant to elaborate
on the issue on a day that should be devoted to reflection on the tragedy.

"I am reluctant to draw too many links between these events and public
policy. This is a tragedy. I think the government's marijuana bill
would be ill-considered under any circumstances," he said.

Legislation cannot avoid all tragedies, he said.

"Whenever there is a tragedy like this, there are calls for immediate
and drastic action. The left will call for more gun control, and the
right will call for tougher penalties," he said.