MARIJUANA BILL SLAMMED

Local employee at cannabis culture shop and MP on same side of Bill C-17
debate

The push to reform marijuana laws, that was reignited after the federal
government re-introduced legislation decriminalizing possession for personal
use this week, has been drawing criticism by a local cannabis expert who
says it will be viewed as prohibition of pot.

"This is a cash cow system of collecting," said Holy Smoke Culture Shop
co-owner Alan Middlemiss. "I'm totally against Bill C-17."

Like identical legislation that died with the federal election call, Bill
C-17 would treat possession of small quantities of pot much like a speeding
ticket.

Instead of jail time, the punishment would be a $150 fine for adults and
$100 for minors holding 15 grams or less - enough to roll about 30 joints.
But anybody caught with more than 15 grams would still face jail time - with
a possible six months in prison - and a maximum fine of $1,000.

The Liberals moved to silence anti-drug critics by also retabling a bill to
toughen the rules against drug-impaired driving. Police would gain the
power to force motorists to submit to drug testing, and refusal to comply
would be punishable by the same laws against drunk driving.

Middlemiss said the legislation is really sending mixed messages to the
public. The bill just doesn't make sense.

"It's unbelievable that they can make something decriminalized and basically
say that it's a non-offense to smoke pot as long as you're not driving and
on the other hand say that it's really a harsh crime to grow any amount of
it," said Middlemiss, one of the three owners of Holy Smoke.

The Liberals appeared set to trumpet the tougher rules while downplaying the
relaxation of marijuana laws in an effort to stave off criticism from the
Conservatives.

"Possession and consumption of marijuana is illegal and will remain
illegal," Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said. "The only change here
revolves around decriminalization for people holding small quantities."

Local Conservative MP Jim Gouk said he wasn't surprised to see the Liberals
reintroduce the legislation.

"I anticipated it," Gouk told the Daily News from the Nation's capital.
"But it still has the same flaws as the previous bill."

Overall, the MP from Thrums said he has a mixed reaction about the bill
because it is so "poorly crafted and ill thought out." There is no way Gouk
can support it.

"They're going to change it so it's not a criminal offense to possess 15
grams or less of marijuana but it's still going to be a criminal offense to
sell marijuana," he explained. "So how does one acquire their non-criminal
marijuana without participating in a criminal act? This thing has been very
poorly thought out."

The Liberals' precarious minority government position means that even if
most of their MPs support Bill C-17, they will need help from the Opposition
benches to pass it. The Bloc Quebecois has only minor concerns with the
legislation, said one party official in an indication that the Liberals
could indeed find that support.

Before the bill can go to second reading in the House of Commons, it must
first come up for debate before a parliamentary committee in two weeks.

Gouk said he's unsure whether the legislation will receive third reading to
be ultimately approved.

"It depends what happens when it gets to committee," Gouk said. "To be
honest with you, I don't know where the Bloc is coming from - and that's
going to be the key. The way this crazy parliament is made up, the
Liberals, even with the NDP who will undoubtedly support it, are not enough
to pass it. Either someone from our side or from the Bloc will have to
support it as well."

Gouk also was critical of the idea of ticketing those with possession under
15 grams.

"That begs the question, are people going to pay the fine? If you have
people who are in a particular lifestyle mode and you get what's the
equivalent of a parking ticket, are you going to pay it or are you going to
let it pile up and laugh at it?"

Middlemiss said the area is known for the quantity of cannabis being grown,
however that's a bit of a misnomer."

"It's actually the smalltime growers growing better pot that puts us on the
map. And with this new legislation, you're not going to see that anymore,"
he said. "You're only going to see the biggest criminals willing to take
the risk with the new penalties to cater to this market of urbanites that
want decriminalized marijuana."

According to Middlemiss, he believes this "prohibition" of marijuana will
"drive the price of pot way up" and increase petty crime based on theft of
weed.

"I really hope that Jim Gouk is going to stand up for the people in this
area," Middlemiss furthered. "The mom and pops that have historically grown
a small amount of cannabis are now facing jail time. I hope he takes a
stand for his constituency where there is a large number of small-time
growers not a large amount of large-time growers."