LIBERALS MOVE TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA USE

OTTAWA - The Liberal government moved Tuesday to eliminate criminal
penalties for simple possession of marijuana, drawing praise from lawyers,
cautious support from doctors and brickbats from police, opposition MPs and
some of its own backbenchers.

Under legislation introduced by Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, possession
of up to 15 grams of pot - enough to roll about 15 or 20 joints - would be a
minor offence that carries no criminal record.

Violators would be ticketed and ordered to pay fines ranging from $100 to
$250 for youths and from $150 to $400 for adults.

People caught with between 15 and 30 grams could get the same treatment if
they're lucky. But they could also, at the discretion of police, be charged
in criminal court and face up to six months in jail.

While the bill would ease up on small-time users, there would be no respite
for illicit growers and dealers. The maximum sentence for grow operations
would be 14 years in prison, up from the current seven, with the length of
term increasing in proportion to the amount grown.

The penalty for trafficking would remain unchanged - a maximum life
sentence, although in practice the toughest terms handed out in recent years
have been about 20 years for major dealers.

Ottawa also plans to set aside an additional $245 million over the next five
years to beef up law enforcement efforts and to fund education, information,
research and treatment programs aimed at curbing drug use.

Cauchon acknowledged the government is sending a double-edged message.

Casual pot smokers will no longer face the threat of jail, and young people
won't automatically be saddled with criminal records that haunt them for
life - one of the government's chief reasons for moving ahead with the
changes. But toking up will still be against the law.

"I want to be clear from the beginning," said Cauchon "We are not legalizing
marijuana and have no plans to do so. What we are changing is the way we
prosecute certain offences."

Health Minister Anne McLellan echoed that view as she outlined the
$245-million education and enforcement plan that accompanied the new
legislation.

"We do not want Canadians to use marijuana," said McLellan. "We especially
don't want young people to use marijuana. That is why an important part of
our drug strategy will focus on strong public education messages to inform
Canadians of the negative health affects of marijuana."

The Canadian Medical Association welcomed McLellan's commitment to
prevention and treatment but warned more funding will be needed.

The Canadian Bar Association congratulated Cauchon for his "courage and
leadership" and called decriminalization of minor possession a positive
move.

"The heavy hand of our criminal law should be reserved for problems that
cause serious harm," said bar president Simon Potter.