MARTIN LIBERALS TO REVIVE POT LEGISLATION, UNCHANGED

OTTAWA -- The Martin Liberals plan to bring back the same piece of pot
legislation that died when Parliament adjourned last month instead of
making any immediate amendments.

Instead of lowering the bar for the amount of marijuana possession
that will be decriminalized, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he
will "maintain the legislative policy docket as it was."

That means the bill, to be introduced along with several other failed
justice bills, will propose decriminalization of 15 grams or less, so
offenders would be fined instead of slapped with a criminal record.

Fifteen grams is the equivalent of about 15 cigarettes, depending on
how they are rolled.

The government plans to proceed with its decriminalization agenda,
despite a Supreme Court of Canada ruling this week it is within the
federal government's criminal-law power to continue to make marijuana
possession a crime.

Cotler added the bill could be amended by Parliament as it goes
through the legislative process.

"As to the particular details of whether an amount may be lower or a
penalty may be higher, we will re-introduce the bill and then it will
be considered by Parliament and Parliament may choose to make some
refinements," Cotler said in an interview.

His comments clear up confusion about whether the Liberals would
revive the same bill proposed by the Chretien government.

Former justice minister Martin Cauchon seriously considered lowering
the amount of pot possession that would escape criminal sanctions from
15 grams to 10, but he backed away from the last-minute change.

Prime Minister Paul Martin, revealing last week that the pot bill
would be re-introduced, hinted he supports lowering the
decriminalization amount and increasing fines for offenders.

The former bill proposed fines of $100 to $400.

In the past, he has said he favours decriminalization of "very, very,
very small amounts."

John Walters, the U.S. director of drug policy for the White House,
praised Martin earlier this week for his apparent tougher stand
against drugs.

But, Vancouver pot enthusiast David-Malmo Levine, who lost his
marijuana challenge in the Supreme Court this week, said the
government should abandon its plans. "Their version of
decriminalization is worse than not doing anything at all."