TORIES KEEP HARD LINE ON POT LAWS

OTTAWA--Potheads beware: the Conservative government has no plans to
relax marijuana laws as arrests in some regions are expected to rise.

A spokesman for Justice Minister Vic Toews was blunt when asked if
the Tories would resurrect Liberal efforts to decriminalize simple
possession of marijuana.

"It is a very short answer and the answer is No," said Mike
Storeshaw. "We have no plans to bring any bill forward."

Public toking became more common in parts of Canada as the former
government moved to loosen laws. But police in some areas are once
again cracking down.

Liberals moved to treat possession of less than 15 grams of pot as a
minor offence punishable by fines of $100 to $400, much like traffic tickets.

But the most recent related bill died when the last federal election
was called in November.

Before that, the Liberals were harshly rebuked by legislators in the
United States. Former American ambassador Paul Cellucci hinted of
border tie-ups if Canadian pot laws were eased.

U.S. protests continued despite the fact that several U.S. states
have already decriminalized marijuana in much the same way.