LIBERAL YOUTH VOTE TO KEEP POT ILLEGAL

The youth wing of his party rejected the decriminalization of marijuana
yesterday by a vote of 110 to 83, but Quebec Liberal leader Jean Charest
said the debate continues - even within his own family.

"There may have been a vote here today, but discussion or no discussion, it
doesn't mean that the debate is over and neither is the discussion over
around our table," Charest confessed to reporters after a weekend
convention of his party's youth wing wrapped up in Saint-Augustin, west of
Quebec City.

The ages of Charest's three children straddle the teen bracket and he said
he imagines all parents face the same debate over drug use.

"I'm not going to share with you what was said (in his family) to protect
the innocent," he added. "Who knows? They may even contradict me."

Charest said before the weekend deliberations that he opposed legalization
of marijuana, fearing it would lead to greater use of the drug.

In his closing speech, the Liberal leader acknowledged, "Just because it
wasn't adopted, the idea has not gone up in smoke," winning a warm round of
applause from convention delegates.

'Very Disappointed'

Jonathan Duguay, a vocal proponent of the pot resolution, said he will
continue to campaign for legalization and could turn to other political
parties.

"I am very, very, very disappointed," he said. "They (the young Liberals)
are afraid to talk about the real issues. ... It will be legal one day anyway."

The motion to allow people over 18 to possess and consume marijuana in
private was presented by Antoine Aylwin, a delegate from
Pointe-aux-Trembles riding, who said he has never tried pot and would not,
even if it were legal.

"I have never tasted alcohol, I have never smoked a cigarette, I have never
drunk coffee in my life," Aylwin said, admitting: "I am a special case.

"These are personal choices. As for criminalizing something, this is a
collective choice and everyone should look at it, whether they consume or not."

His goal is to make politics more attractive, so "that everyone
participates actively in political life," he said.

Aylwin accused marijuana opponents of making "extremist statements" during
the debate, creating "a kind of paranoia in the room. I am disappointed
with what I heard."

Delegate Denis Gauthier, who identified himself as a medical resident,
branded marijuana a public health hazard, saying it contributes to heart
disease, asthma, memory loss and loss of intelligence. "There have to be
more studies before it is approved," he said.

Anne-Marie Lacoste of Outremont riding said alcohol and drug use encourage
criminality.

"Marijuana should be eradicated," she said, winning a round of applause.

Stress On Environment

Jenny Dionne from Mercier riding, which covers Montreal's Plateau
Mont-Royal, argued for the motion, saying legalizing pot would reduce
alcohol consumption. "Someone can smoke a joint and they will be all
right," she said.

While pot monopolized attention this weekend, Charest announced in his
closing speech that a future Liberal government would name an environment
commissioner, who would work with Quebec's auditor-general to verify that
environmental standards are respected.

And he said Quebec should have a seat at the table whenever the federal
government discusses environmental issues within international agreements
such as the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas.

"We depend more than anyone on the environment to earn our bread and
butter," he said. "Our economy in Quebec is a natural-resources economy."

A Liberal government would stress sustainable development, he said, and
won't shy away from imposing stiff environmental regulations.