LIBERAL FIGHT PUTS MARIJUANA BILL ON HOLD

Chretien's Scripted Vow To Forge Ahead Deleted From Speech

OTTAWA - The federal government postponed introduction of its marijuana
bill yesterday amid Liberal infighting, renewed complaints from the U.S.
drug czar and a warning from the Health Minister that decriminalization
will cause a spike in drug use.

The bill was expected to be tabled today, but Martin Cauchon, the Justice
Minister, said it will not be introduced until at least the last week of
May, when Parliament returns from a week's recess.

Government officials were still haggling yesterday over funding for the new
national drug strategy -- a prevention, education and treatment package
that will accompany legislation to relax marijuana laws by removing
possession of less than 15 grams from the Criminal Code.

In the prepared text of a speech Jean Chretien gave in Montreal last night,
the Prime Minister vowed to go ahead with the controversial legislation
despite the opposition. But when he actually delivered the speech to about
1,500 people at a fundraising dinner, he did not make the reference to the
marijuana bill that was in the text given to reporters.

Anne McLellan, the Health Minister, emerging from a Liberal caucus meeting
yesterday, predicted that decriminalization will lead to an increase in pot
smoking, as it has done in other countries that have softened their laws,
before usage stabilizes.

"Certainly one has to be ready to deal with that spike," Ms. McLellan said.

"It can lead to addiction, it can lead to all sorts of situations within
local communities. You need to be ready with information, with education
and with treatment."

Mr. Cauchon disputed Ms. McLellan's prediction, saying: "I don't believe
that. Today there are 100,000 Canadians using cannabis on a daily basis."

Ms. McLellan's words of caution came the day after Mr. Cauchon returned
from Washington, where he said he broadly outlined his marijuana bill in a
meeting with a skeptical John Ashcroft, the U.S. Attorney-General.

The government has retreated from its initial plan to decriminalize
possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.

Mr. Cauchon has also shifted his emphasis to the harsher measures in his
marijuana legislation, including stiffer penalties against drug traffickers
and marijuana grow operations.

But John Walters, the U.S. director of national drug policy, said yesterday
he does not buy Canada's sales pitch as he repeated a warning that
decriminalization will lead to delays at the border as officers check for
drugs.

In an interview, Mr. Walters denounced Canada's plan to decriminalize the
possession of even 15 grams, particularly considering the increasing
prevalence of a potent strain, known as B.C. bud, that he described as the
"crack"of marijuana.

"It's too much, it should be zero," Mr. Walters said. "If you want to
control a drug problem or an addictive substance problem, you have to work
on demand and supply."

Mr. Walters described Canada's drug problem as "out of control," with
marijuana grow operations run by organized crime escalating across the country.

Mr. Cauchon has said Canada intends to hand out fines to small-time users
so they will not be saddled with criminal records for the rest of their lives.

"As Justice Minister, I will do what I think is best for the Canadian
population," he said.

Mr. Cauchon would not discuss his meeting with Mr. Ashcroft, saying only
that he gave his U.S. counterpart the "general principles"of his marijuana
legislation.

Critics of the U.S.'s outspoken stand against decriminalization point out
that 12 states have decriminalized marijuana.

The split in the federal Cabinet was also apparent in the lower ranks of
the party, where two backbenchers said they oppose the government's
decriminalization plan.

"Certainly I'm not going to vote for it,"said Gary Pillitteri, the MP for
Niagara Falls.

"We're not prepared for it, and being a family man, I have children and
grandchildren. I've never condoned it in my household and I couldn't see
doing that in the future."

Joe Fontana, another Liberal MP from Southern Ontario, said the government
should set decriminalization at five grams or less -- about the equivalent
of five cigarettes.

"Fifteen is still too high for simple possession," he said. "What is going
to happen is you're going to have a lot more dealing, you're going to have
an awful lot more giving to young people. We also have to have a very, very
good campaign to counteract the signal that might be sent that it's all
right if you're prepared to pay the fine."