UP IN SMOKE?

Alberta Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko wants Ottawa to put an
immediate halt to plans to decriminalize possession of small amounts
of marijuana. And yesterday, Liberals sidestepped a convention
showdown on legalizing marijuana, opting instead to push towards the
legalization of prostitution and endorsed gay marriage.

Cenaiko made his plea Friday, in a telephone conservation with Deputy
Prime Minister Anne McLellan after 300 pot plants worth $1 million
were found at the farm where four Mounties were gunned down on Thursday.

"Tragically, it has taken this horrific incident to illustrate to the
public the seriousness of marijuana grow operations, methamphetamine
production and other facets of crime," he said.

"In the wake of this tragedy, now is not the time for the federal
government to weaken illegal drug legislation."

McLellan said while the federal government had introduced a law to
decriminalize cannabis possession, Ottawa is open to "significant and
potentially wide-ranging" amendments. "What we are doing is enhancing
the Criminal Code provisions by increasing the maximum sentences
courts can levy (against growers)," she told reporters Friday in Ottawa.

"In fact we were putting the onus on the courts, the judiciary, in a
sense, to take this crime seriously. This is not a victimless crime
and, therefore, I think the judiciary needs to start to reflect the
harsh reality of illegal grow-ops.

"This is a dangerous substance. We know it is a more potent carcinogen
than smoke tobacco."

Judges who don't put major producers behind bars will have to offer
written reasons under the proposed legislation that is now before
Parliament, McLellan said.

McLellan spoke at the Liberal policy convention where delegates were
yesterday to debate the resolution - from the Alberta wing of the
party - to legalize pot. But Liberals sidestepped the debate as the
controversial motion in favour of legalizing pot failed to win enough
support to make it to the main floor.

Grits kept their raucous debate over stiffer minimum sentences for
marijuana grow operators and legalizing pot to a workshop.

About 600 Liberals supported both marijuana resolutions, but when
forced to pick a favourite, they opted to push the federal government
to review the Criminal Code section which makes prostitution illegal,
a choice overwhelmingly backed by the 2,000 Grits at the convention.

Justice Minister Irwin Cotler applauded the move to shift the focus to
the plight of prostitutes and away from pot.