POT TO BE DECRIMINALIZED, BUT POLICE GET NEW POWERS

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."

Legislation to decriminalize marijuana is just one of several changes
Cotler says he plans to make in a bid to overhaul Canada's criminal
justice system.

While many of Cotler's initiatives have not been spelled out, he said
his plans are reflected in the principles outlined in the speech such
as a commitment to human rights and defending the Charter of Rights
and Freedoms.