CRITICS FEAR DRIVERS WILL BE ROLLING STONED

OTTAWA -- The federal government's plan to decriminalize small stashes of
marijuana got off to a rocky start yesterday, with critics warning there
will be more young tokers and a rash of stoned drivers on the road.

Stressing that pot will remain illegal, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon
tabled the controversial bill that would make possessing up to 15 grams of
pot a minor offence that carries no criminal record.

$100-$400 Fines

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, at the discretion of
police, be charged in criminal court and face up to six months in jail.

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 a maximum life sentence, although
in practice the toughest terms handed out in recent years have been about
20 years for major dealers

Canadian Police Association president David Griffin called the package a
hasty "hodge-podge" that will create more problems than it resolves. The
strategy neglects the urgent need for more resources to nab drug-impaired
drivers and crack down on marijuana-growing operations, he said.

"What we need now is to send a clear message to Canada's young people that
drugs are harmful, that drugs and driving kill and that people who sell
drugs to kids will go to jail," he said.