MARTIN FAVOURS TOUGHER POT BILL, SPOKESMAN SAYS

OTTAWA (CP) -- Paul Martin is putting his political weight behind
amendments that would toughen the government's marijuana bill, the Ottawa
Citizen reported yesterday.

The prime minister-in-waiting would "be more comfortable" with the proposed
legislation if the government came down harder on marijuana growers,
traffickers and repeat offenders, a spokesman for Martin said Friday.

"There are rumours that the government may be thinking about toughening up
the penalties, and if that were the direction that were taken, he would be
very pleased with that," said Scott Reid. "It would conform to his
perspective."

Martin's position on unfinished legislation makes a difference because he
will ultimately decide which bills will be revived when Prime Minister Jean
Chretien is expected to step aside in February.

Although Chretien is trying to fast-track the marijuana legislation so it
passes this fall, even Liberals doubt it will clear the necessary hurdles
in time, meaning it could be on Martin's plate when he becomes prime minister.

The government's proposed bill would decriminalize marijuana possession for
small-time users caught with less than 15 grams by giving fines of $100 to
$400. At the other end, there would be an array of penalties to counter an
escalation in marijuana-grow houses run by organized crime, with the
maximum sentence being doubled to 14 years. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon
is considering several amendments that would make the legislation tougher,
including a minimum mandatory sentence for people convicted of running
marijuana growing operations. Critics say judges routinely impose sentences
of six months to one year for the most serious offenders.