PLUME OF CONFUSION WITH LIBERALS' POT PROPOSAL

One commentator Tuesday called the federal Liberals' proposed new marijuana
laws among the most confusing introduced in the House of Commons. And that
they are, so much so that we doubt the proposed laws as they now stand will
become law, by virtue of opposition from Liberal MPs and a short time-frame
to enact the legislation into law.

Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, fresh from his kowtowing visit to U.S.
Attorney General John Ashcroft to assure Big Brother that Canada is not
necessarily abandoning the ludicrous war on drugs, has essentially drafted
proposed laws that say smoking a joint or carrying a few joints in your
pocket is no big deal, but growing the weed that fills the joints that sit
in your pocket is a definite no-no.

Seems to us Cauchon neglected to note that one needs to grow marijuana for
people to smoke them, even it's just one spliff after work. While the
Canadian Alliance's position on the issue of marijuana remains mired
somewhere between the hilarious Reefer Madness film and Uncle Sam's failed
lock-'em-up mentality, Canada's second party is correct in its assessment
that Bill C-38 is sending the wrong message to youth.

"On one hand," says the Alliance, "the health minister says smoking pot is
unhealthy, yet the justice minister makes the fines for marijuana use 50
per cent less for youth."

Cauchon boasts that the proposed new law will increase to 14 years the
maximum sentence for those convicted of growing more than 50 plants.

To that we can reply with a great big yawn. The current law carries a
maximum sentence of seven years, yet we have yet to see any judge hand down
such a sentence. In fact, it is a rare day indeed when growers receive any
jail time.

Perhaps the judges believe what the majority of Canadians think: Marijuana
is a relatively benign drug that should be decriminalized, if not outright
legalized, as our Senate believes.

Again Tuesday, we heard B.C. Solicitor General Rich Coleman droning on and
on about the need to get tougher with growers because the pot trade is
controlled by organized crime.

And again we say to the former Mountie: Of course organized crime is in
charge. And it will remain in charge while marijuana is illegal. Cauchon
himself has acknowledged that at least 100,000 Canadians smoke pot on a
daily basis, with millions more being recreational users.

The proposed new laws won't affect those numbers in the least.

If anything, stiffer penalties for growing marijuana - in theory, at least
- - will only make the bud more lucrative for those "organized" criminals
over which Coleman keeps shaking his head.