DEATH OF MARIJUANA REFORMS CAUSES A BUZZ IN CITY

Plans To Ease Laws Die As MPs Ready For An Election

Local News - Beou Leclair, an occasional pot smoker, says there's "no harm
in blazing a dube, sitting back and zoning out."

Life is stressful, and a casual joint takes the weight off your shoulders
and makes you feel better about yourself, he said. No one should get a
hefty fine and criminal record for such a mellow experience.

Leclair was disappointed to learn Thursday that the federal government's
plans to decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot had been
relegated to the dead legislation pile.

Yesterday was the last day of voting in Parliament before an anticipated
federal election, and the proposed legislation never made it to a vote. But
Sudburians say the issue won't die.

Law enforcement officials in Sudbury and across the country have opposed
the legislation since it was first tabled last year. They argue that the
pot trade is controlled by organized crime and involves criminal activities.

Any tinkering with current laws that make it a criminal offence to possess
pot will only result in a boom in pot cultivation, and put more money in
the pockets of the criminals that control the trade.

Decriminalization and legalization are very different things.

The proposed legislation sought only to remove criminal charges for the
possession of small amounts of pot -- the equivalent of a couple of joints.
Possession of small quantities would still come with a fine.

"I'm for decriminalization, but not so much for legalization," said Simon
Ethier, a recent graduate of a forestry program. "Issuing a ticket should
be sufficient. There's no reason to get arrested and charged with a
criminal offence for smoking a joint."

Ethier hopes the legislation is revisited.

"It should be pushed for, because there's a need for a certain code of
conduct when it comes to controlling pot. I think the government has missed
an excellent opportunity. If they regulated marijuana the way they regulate
alcohol, they would make a lot of money."

Marg Perry, an employment consultant, said the proposed legislation will be
back.

"I'm sure they will keep trying," she said. "It will be the same as gay
marriage: they'll push it until it happens."

Perry supports decriminalizing pot for medicinal purposes, but not
legalizing it entirely.

"Even if they decriminalized possession for medicinal purposes, I think
that would take away a lot of the illegal drug market. Right now, people
who use it as medicine have to get it on the black market."