CRITICS DENOUNCE NEW DRUG POLICY

The Chretien government introduced a new drug policy yesterday that was
denounced as a bust because it is easier on young people than adults who
smoke marijuana and hashish, decriminalizes driving with drugs in a
vehicle, and commits to spending less than half the amount the Liberals had
promised to counter Canada's multibillion-dollar drug problem.

Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said he hopes his controversial bill to
decriminalize less than 15 grams of marijuana -- which drew immediate
opposition from police, the political opposition and even members of the
Liberal caucus -- will become law by the end of the year.

Canadians under 18 who are caught with less than 15 grams of marijuana
would receive $100 fines and adults would be ticketed $150. Fines would
increase to $250 for youths and $400 for adults for possession while
driving, committing an offence or being caught in or near a school.

Police estimated that 15 grams is the equivalent of 15 to 30 joints,
depending on how they are rolled.

Possession of one gram or less of hashish would warrant fines starting at
$200.

"Let me be clear from the beginning, we are not legalizing marijuana and we
have no plans to do so," cautioned Mr. Cauchon, sensitive to complaints
domestically and in the United States that Canada is relaxing its drug laws.

His proposals also include an array of penalties to counter an escalation
in marijuana grow houses run by organized crime, with the maximum sentence
being doubled to 14 years from the current seven.

The legislation was accompanied by the renewal of a lapsed national drug
strategy, which will focus on an advertising campaign to convince Canadians
that drugs are dangerous, put money into community prevention and treatment
programs and give the RCMP an extra $57 million to counter the grow
operations that have sprouted in neighbourhoods across the country.

"Let me be clear, we do not want Canadians to use marijuana, we especially
do not want young Canadians to use marijuana," said Health Minister Anne
McLellan. "We are going to be sending a lot of powerful messages around the
harmful effects of drug use."

The strategy, however, pledges to spend $245 million in the next five
years, less than half of the $440 million over four years that the Liberal
government promised in its 2000 election platform.

The new funding, the bulk of which will be spent in the final years of the
strategy, amounts to about a 10-per-cent increase to the $500 million
annually that the federal government now spends to fight illegal drug use.

Dave Griffin, executive director of the Canadian Police Association,
described the federal initiative as "a hastily put together package hung
together by Band-aids and duct tape."

One of the association's numerous concerns is that there are no minimum
penalties for marijuana grow operations, even though judges routinely hand
down jail sentences of about six months to one year for the most serious
offenders.

Police want to retain discretion to lay criminal charges instead of handing
out fines, particularly for repeat offenders and people caught driving
while impaired.

Mr. Cauchon predicted that police would be more apt to enforce the law
against marijuana possession if the consequences are not as harsh.

"Most people just get off with a warning," Mr. Cauchon said. "Is that what
we want as a society? No. It leads to disrespect for the law."

For Canadians caught with 15 to 30 grams of marijuana, police will retain
discretion whether to charge fines or lay criminal charges.

The Liberals were accused in the House of Commons yesterday of further
alienating the United States, which has been vocal about its opposition to
marijuana decriminalization.

Solicitor General Wayne Easter said that the Liberals have heard the
complaints loud and clear.

"At the end of the day, the government has to make a judgment call," he
said. "Certainly there will be some reaction. But they understand that we
have the sovereign right to make our own laws."

Randy White, the Canadian Alliance's solicitor-general critic, predicted
that the new drug strategy will fail --just as its predecessor did --
because there is no one in charge. Among other things, the government
ignored a Commons committee's recommendation to spend $1.5 million on the
office of a national drug co-ordinator, similar to the national drug czar
in the U.S.

On the opposite end of the political spectrum, NDP Leader Jack Layton
called for legalization so that there would be no penalties for possession.

The proposed legislation is on a tight timetable to be passed before Prime
Minister Jean Chr?tien, one of its strongest promoters, retires early next
year.

Liberal MP Joe Fontana said backbenchers still have a number of concerns
and won't be in any rush to vote for the bill.

"I'm not sure that there's a big appetite to move this thing as quickly
through the process as possible," he said.

The Canadian Medical Association said the government should be putting more
money toward a "meaningful" national drug strategy before it decriminalizes
marijuana.

"Marijuana is an addictive substance that is known to have adverse health
effects and we strongly advise Canadians against its use," the association
said.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving called on Mr. Cauchon to delay
decriminalization until police have the technology to enforce drug-impaired
driving. As it now stands, there is no comparable test to the breathalyser
for drunk driving.

Local police forces, which share responsibility for enforcing drug laws,
including the crackdown on grow operations, did not receive an increase in
funding yesterday because they fall under provincial jurisdiction.

This poses a problem in Canada's two largest provinces -- Ontario and
Quebec -- which rely on provincial police forces rather than the RCMP.