FEDS PONDER AMENDMENTS TO MARIJUANA LEGISLATION

The federal government may lower the amount of "personal use" pot it will
tolerate and slightly toughen provisions of its marijuana decriminalization
bill in a bid to win over some of its staunch critics, including those on
its own backbench.

Sources say amendments under consideration include: Lowering to 10 grams
from 15 grams the amount of pot a person may possess before facing a
potential criminal conviction and record; increasing penalties for "repeat
offenders" who clearly flout the ban on pot; and imposing mandatory minimum
sentences on large-scale growing operations.

Right now, the pot bill "de-criminalizes" the penalty for simple possession
proposing, instead of a criminal sanction, a ticketing scheme with fines
from $250 to $400.

The insider emphatically denied any move to impose a stricter limit is a
move to allay concerns by Americans, saying many of the arguments the
United States presents about stronger strains of marijuana are "a myth."