REVISED POT BILL FAVOURED

Saskatchewan's new justice minister says he's in favour of revising
proposed marijuana legislation to make it tougher on those that grow and
sell it.

"Personally, and as minister of justice, I'm happy to see Paul Martin
taking another look at this," said Frank Quennell.

"The decriminalization of marijuana gets a lot of discussion, but maybe not
the more serious side of it, which is trafficking and large grow operations
and the type of people and organizations involved in that."

On Thursday, Martin said he plans to revive the controversial legislation
in the New Year, though with changes that could make it vastly different
from the bill originally tabled by the Chretien government last fall.

The new bill will likely still forgo criminal convictions for simple
possession, but Martin has said he favours steeper fines and stricter rules
on possession.

Quennell didn't take a stance on the legislation overall, saying it's
parliament's job to set legislation, but said there should be "appropriate
penalties" for people caught trafficking or involved in major grow operations.

Quennell also said he hopes to work co-operatively with the federal
government if, or when, the legislation comes into place, by making sure
the police have the resources to enforce the new law properly.

In the meanwhile, Regina Police Chief Cal Johnston says his officers won't
mellow out on pot possession while the legislation is debated.

"Until a law changes it's still a law," he said. "I think it's important
that we follow the law. Debate is important, but the police community must
follow the law as it's given to them."

Police in some Ontario jurisdictions -- including Toronto -- have urged
their officers to stop laying charges in simple possession cases because of
a number of court challenges.

While Johnston says his officers have never targeted simple possession, he
says police will still pursue charges if they arise in the course of
another investigation.

"We'll carry on as we are and watch carefully as the debate about changing
this law continues," he said. "We can play a part in providing input, and
when the change is made we'll act accordingly."

The original marijuana bill was in the committee stage, but fizzled when
former Prime Minister Jean Chretien prorogued the House of Commons before
last month's Liberal leadership convention.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether current
marijuana laws violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.