ELECTION KILLS MARIJUANA BILL

Pot Activist Glad Legislation Is Gone

A bill to decriminalize marijuana has died with the fall of the
Liberal government -- and pot activists are pleased to see it go.

"We're happy it died," said B.C. Marijuana Party (BCMP) president Marc Emery.

He said that while Bill C- 17 cut down on penalties for possession of
small amounts of marijuana, it substantially increased penalties for
cultivation.

While working for the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, Vancouver
lawyer Kirk Tousaw testified to a House of Commons special committee
against the bill, arguing that it would actually do more to
criminalize marijuana by targeting growers.

"This Liberal government has now promised to reform our marijuana
laws for the last four years, but they have not done it," Tousaw said.

Michelle Rainy, vice-president of the BCMP, also said the bill was
flawed. Bill C-17 was read in Parliament twice. In order to pass, a
bill must be read three times.

Other now defunct bills include Bill C-60, which would have made
sweeping changes to the copyright act, including prohibiting the
downloading and copying of music.

Bill C-50, which would have imposed stiffer penalties for animal
cruelties, also died.