CANADA'S LEADER OFFERS ANTIDRUG PLAN

OTTAWA -- Reversing earlier moves to decriminalize marijuana use,
Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada announced new legal and
spending measures against drug use and distribution on Thursday.

In 2005, the government, then led by the Liberal Party, introduced
legislation to eliminate criminal penalties for possessing small
amounts of marijuana. The bill did not pass Parliament before the
election that brought Mr. Harper and the Conservatives to power. It
was never reintroduced.

"Far too long now in Canada, governments have been sending out mixed
messages on drugs," Mr. Harper said Thursday. "Canadians hardly know
what the law is anymore."

To make it clear that drug use is illegal in Canada, he said the
government would spend about $64 million on antidrug campaigns and
increased enforcement, including mandatory sentences for dealers and
smugglers. There will also be increased coordination with the United
States, he said.