MARIJUANA USE PERSISTENT, RECURRING ISSUE

The Vancouver Sun will focus on an issue important to British
Columbians every day during the campaign. Today we look at how the
political parties wrestle with reforming laws related to marijuana.

With millions of Canadians lighting up joints and the Senate
recommending that prohibition of the recreational drug be lifted,
reform of marijuana laws remains a persistent election issue.

Proposed marijuana law reform has been batted about by Canadian
political candidates since at least 1972 when the LeDain Commission
recommended removing criminal records for persons convicted of possession.

In February, Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal government
introduced Bill C-10 to reform marijuana laws, but like his
predecessor, Jean Chretien, Martin allowed the bill to die without
passage into law.

Bill C-10 would have made possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana,
or three marijuana plants, punishable by tickets and fines of $100 to
$500.

Neither the New Democratic Party nor the Conservatives were happy with
Bill C-10, but for different reasons.

New Democrats say their party would go much further and decriminalize
marijuana outright.

Conservatives, on the other hand, say the Liberal bill went too far
and actually encouraged marijuana use.

"It's seen as a green light to some extent," argued Conservative MP
and justice critic Randy White. "It's a message to young people that
marijuana is not really harmful or dangerous. It's something we are
just going to fine you for."

Although the bill was not passed into law, a spokesman for federal
Justice Minister Irwin Cotler indicated it was the best expression of
the government platform, but that it was possible the policy could
still be tweaked.

NDP justice critic Libby Davies said lowering penalties could mean
police would be more willing to hand out tickets for fines, knowing
judges are often reluctant to give people criminal records for
possession of marijuana.

"It could lead to more people being punished," Davies, MP for
Vancouver East, said in an interview.

She said the NDP would follow through on the Senate committee's
recommendation to decriminalize marijuana use as the first step in
developing a rules-based approach to regulating marijuana to deter
young people and to prevent people from driving while impaired.

White said Conservatives would not lighten penalties until an
effective, comprehensive national drug strategy could be implemented
along with a federal/provincial agreement on more effective measures
to combat money laundering and marijuana grow operations.

White said a Conservative government would replace maximum penalties
with minimum penalties, to prevent judges from using their discretion
to limit punishment.

"Judges are totally inconsistent and the dealers know full well that
when they go to court there really is no penalty in comparison to what
they earn," he said.

A Conservative government would also create tougher penalties for
repeat offenders, and attempt to reduce the difference between the
U.S.'s more severe penalties and more lenient Canadian ones, which he
said cause some to produce and sell Canadian drugs for the immense
U.S. market.

An estimated 600,000 Canadians have criminal records for marijuana
possession.

[sidebar]

WHAT THE CONTENDERS SAY

The Liberal marijuana reform bill:

- - Would have made possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana, or three
marijuana plants,punishable by tickets and fines of $100 to $500.

- - Would continue to make possession illegal, but possession of small
amounts would bring fines, not potential jail terms nor criminal records.

The Conservative justice critic says:

- - Possession should not be decriminalized until there is a reliable
and practical method of testing drivers and others to see if they are
impaired by marijuana and the country implements a national drug strategy.

- - Money from fines should go to law enforcement agencies.

- - Judges should be given minimum penalties, not maximum penalties for
sentencing.

New Democratic Party justice critic says:

- - No more criminal records for possession of marijuana.

- - Driving while impaired by marijuana should remain a criminal
offence.

- - Marijuana should be legalized to prevent it from being a major
source of revenue for violent criminal organizations.