PM HIGH ON REVIVING MARIJUANA BILL

Martin Wants to Reduce Penalties for Simple Possession

Legislation Will Be Reintroduced When Parliament Convenes

OTTAWA -- Paul Martin said yesterday he will revive the Liberals'
controversial legislation to reduce penalties for simple possession of
marijuana when Parliament convenes in October.

"The legislation on the decriminalization of minor quantities of
marijuana, that legislation will be reintroduced," the Prime Minister
said yesterday after meeting his new cabinet. It was his first comment
on the matter since the June 28 election.

The earlier legislation, Bill C-10, died in the Commons when the
federal election campaign was launched in May. The bill meant anyone
caught with up to 15 grams of pot would face a ticket, not criminal
charges. Fines would range from $100 to $400. Fifteen grams is enough
to roll 15 or 20 joints.

But anyone caught with more than 15 grams would receive harsher
penalties. The legislation also included tougher penalties for those
running marijuana grow operations.

Current law allows up to six months in jail or fines of up to $1,000
on summary conviction for possession. If the crown prosecutes under
provisions for an indictable offence, a conviction could mean up to
seven years in jail.

The move to decriminalize pot had been introduced by prime minister
Jean Chretien's government as a way to keep thousands of young people
from being saddled with criminal records for possession of pot.

But it had been fiercely debated, with critics saying it would
encourage drug use and make it harder for police to curb serious drug
crimes. The Bush administration suggested the legislation would force
the U.S. to tighten border controls.

Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh, sworn into cabinet just one day
earlier, questioned the suggestion that decriminalization would lead
to greater use.

"I'm not so sure whether that argument has any validity. I don't know
what the correlation is," he said. "My view is that, if you make
something illegal, some people are more attracted to it. ... If you
allow people to possess it in small quantities for personal use, the
allure kind of disappears for some people."