CANADA PROMISES TO REVIVE POT BILL

OTTAWA (AP) - Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said Thursday his
government will reintroduce legislation to decriminalize simple
possession of marijuana when Parliament sits again in the new year.

Martin indicated that the bill, first brought in under his predecessor
Jean Chretien, could be toughened in committee before it passes.

``I think that one's got to take a look at the fines,'' Martin said.
``I think that you have to take a look at the quantities, and I think
that there has to be a larger effort against the grow-ops and against
those who distribute.''

But the prime minister said he agrees with the principle that young
people should not be dogged throughout life by a criminal record if
they are caught in possession of small amounts of pot.

The Supreme Court of Canada is set to rule next week on a challenge to
the current marijuana law in which the key issue is whether criminal
penalties, including jail time, for simple possession violate the
Charter of Rights.

Martin's comments signaled that even if the high court upholds the
constitutionality of the present law, his government will still move
to change it.

The United States opposes any plan by Ottawa to decriminalize
marijuana possession in Canada, saying it could inflate already
burgeoning cross-border pot smuggling.

The United States Drug Enforcement Agency estimates smuggling from the
western province of British Columbia alone is worth more than $1
billion a year.