OTTAWA PLEDGES TOUGH SENTENCES

Canada's Attorney General Met With Anti-Crime Advocates in Langley
Last Week

Tougher sentencing rules for drug traffickers are coming from the
Canadian government soon, Canada's justice minister said during a
visit to Langley

Rob Nicholson, justice minister and attorney general, met with
Community Leaders for Justice Reform in Murrayville on Wednesday.

He said mandatory jail time for drug traffickers, importers and
exporters, and marijuana growers will come soon.

"They're not going to like it," Nicholson said.

Nicholson also talked about recent changes to laws designed to protect
children from sex predators, a recent megatrials bill designed to make
longer jury trials easier to deal with, and removing the "faint hope
clause" for lifetime sentences.

The AG was largely here to hear from the CLJR, a group that includes
MP Mark Warawa and Langley Township Mayor Rick Green.

The local group was founded out of talks about prolific offenders in
the Aldergrove area, and has since been pushing for reforms in several
areas.

Several issues touching on Langley are outside of the ministry of
justice's direct sphere of influence, Nicholson said.

Rules for medical marijuana are under review by the ministry of
health, but Nicholson's ministry will be consulted. A Langley medical
marijuana dispensary was recently raided by the RCMP, highlighting
what the owner says are unclear laws about how medically approved pot
can get to patients.