OTTAWA TO WARN OF POT'S DANGERS

Strategy To Focus On Education, Rehabilitation And Enforcement

OTTAWA -- The federal government is embarking on an anti-drug campaign to
stress that pot is a health hazard, at the same time that the Justice
Department decriminalizes marijuana possession.

Legislation to ease marijuana laws, expected late this spring, will be one
part of a new multimillion-dollar national drug strategy that will focus on
public education, enforcement of drug crimes and revamped treatment and
rehabilitation programs.

The drug bill, which will include initiatives from the Justice,
Solicitor-General's and Health departments, will be based on a report from
a special committee that late last year recommended a sweeping new system
for the way the federal government manages Canada's illegal drug problem.

The committee said Ottawa should appoint a drug commissioner, similar to
the United States's drug czar, and establish safe injection sites for drug
addicts.

"We're looking at all the recommendations that were made, but we can't rule
anything in or out at this time," said Alex Swann, a spokesman for Anne
McLellan, the Minister of Health, whose department is overseeing the drug
strategy.

The new initiative, including marijuana decriminalization, is still in the
works.

Martin Cauchon, the Minister of Justice, mindful of U.S. opposition to
Canada relaxing its marijuana laws, said it is significant that the overall
strategy will stress that pot is still illegal and police will be
instructed to be more vigilant in enforcing the law. Possession of small
amounts of marijuana will be punishable by a fine instead of a criminal record.

The government's strategy is to spend less time and resources going after
small-time users and focus on trafficking and dealing with serious
addictions to harmful drugs.

"My primary concern here is to make sure we're going to have an effective
policy, sending a strong message that marijuana is illegal in Canada; it
can be harmful to your health; it is not good for society as well; and
making sure as well that we are going to be stronger in law enforcement,"
Mr. Cauchon responded when asked whether he was worried about the U.S.
position.

Mike Murphy, a spokesman for Mr. Cauchon, said Canada is not backing away
from decriminalization plans to satisfy the United States, which has warned
Canadians could face problems at the border if laws are eased.

Mr. Murphy said 12 U.S. states have some degree of marijuana decriminalization.

The current national drug strategy has been widely criticized for poor
leadership, shoddy research and lack of measurable results.

Sheila Fraser, the federal Auditor-General, in a scathing 2001 report, said
Canada is ill-informed on the size of its drug problem because nobody is in
charge.

Ms. Fraser found illegal drugs cost the federal government an estimated
$5-billion annually in lost productivity, property crime, law enforcement
and health care.