WEED LAW WIGGLE ROOM

Legislation to relax the legal punishments for pot users can still be altered
if police groups push for changes, Solicitor General Wayne Easter told a
national gathering of police chiefs last night.

Easter said Ottawa's controversial plans to have police lay only fines against
those found possessing 15 grams of pot or less can be amended, and that the
15-gram threshold could be changed.

The solicitor general made the remarks after a keynote address at the opening
ceremony for the 98th annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of
Police.

In a move that could be seen as offering an olive branch to police
organizations, Easter called on the police chiefs to give their input to the
committee hearing process, which the Liberals new marijuana laws still must
pass through.

Many police officials have been openly critical of Ottawa's plan to reshape
marijuana laws.

Easter said the limit of 15 grams could go up or down, based on what the
committee hearings are told.

"It could change. It could go up, it could go down," he said. "In terms of
those technicalities, we need to hear from the police communities, their point
of view."

"We have made our arguments for 15 grams and why, but what I'm saying is for
the police community and other Canadians to express their point of view and
where they want to go on this legislation."

The current legislation would see youths pay fines of $100 to $250 if they' re
found possessing 15 grams or less. Adults would be fined $150 to $400.

More importantly, say some, is that people fined for minor possession would not
receive a criminal record.

The legislation also offers stiffer penalties for those growing and selling
marijuana.

Too lenient

Last week, Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino criticized the courts for being
too lenient on people convicted of running marijuana growing operations.

"What I have heard, from police officers and many other across the nation, is
.. the very minimum of penalties seems to be the ones that have been imposed
to the greatest extent," Easter said.

He said the new marijuana legislation pushes judges to consider aggravating
factors, such as past incidents, when sentencing offenders.

"The intention of this legislation is for the courts to impose the penalties
that are laid out in the law," Easter told the gathering of several hundred
police chiefs.

"I expect and we expect the courts to impose those penalties, because they must
if we're going to deal with those marijuana grow operations in a big and
effective way," he said, to a round of applause from his audience.