POT PRIORITY QUESTIONABLE

If Prime Minister Paul Martin truly wants to pass legislation that
decriminalizes marijuana, as opposed to legalizing the THC-laced weed,
he could do it, even though he no longer leads a majority government.
The only party that would oppose the measure is the Conservatives, who
would be handily outnumbered by the combined forces of the Liberals,
Bloc Quebecois and New Democrats.

Yesterday, Mr. Martin said his government will reintroduce the
marijuana legislation that died on the order paper last fall, during
the final gasps of former prime minister Jean Chretien's regime. It
was one of Mr. Chretien's "legacy" items that didn't make the cut.

Why Mr. Martin is touting marijuana decriminalization so soon after
naming his cabinet is anyone's guess. It is, tangentially, a health
issue, and improving the health-care system was the most prominent
plank in the Liberals' election platform. In September, the prime
minister and premiers will meet in Ottawa to negotiate what Mr. Martin
called "the fix for a generation" for health care. A fix for marijuana
legislation is not likely to be part of that meeting's agenda.

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, Statistics Canada released a study
yesterday that suggested the use of marijuana and hashish has doubled
over a 13-year period, and the use of those drugs among teenagers is
increasing.

That trend alarms social conservatives, who tend to consider marijuana
dangerous in its own right, as well as a "gateway" substance that
increases the chance that its users will go on to such highly
addictive and socially disruptive drugs as cocaine and heroin.

On the other side of the drug divide stand those who view marijuana as
no more or less dangerous than tobacco and alcohol, both of which are
legal, and regulated, substances. If smokes and booze can be legal,
they ask, why can't pot?

However, legalization is too much to ask at this time -- it was
recommended more than 40 years ago, and it hasn't happened yet. The
modest decriminalization the legislation proposes is a more realistic
approach.

Possession of 15 grams would become a simple misdemeanour, rather than
a crime. Criminal penalties for trafficking more than 15 grams would
become harsher. It's a compromise that strokes both pro-and
anti-marijuana advocates, but satisfies neither.

Mr. Martin has promised only that "the decriminalization of minor
quantities of marijuana -- that legislation will be introduced." He
doesn't say how prominent it will be on the government's list of
priorities .

Two obstacles stand in the way of decriminalization. One is the
opposition of social conservatives. The other is the strong anti-drug
stance of the current government in the United States. The Americans
have warned that relaxation of Canada's marijuana laws could lead to a
tightening of the border.

If U.S. President George W. Bush wins a second term in November,
decriminalization in Canada will remain on the back bummer.