POT DEMAND TO GROW?

Feds to Fuel Black Market: Critic

OTTAWA -- The federal government will create a higher demand and
larger black market for pot with its proposed marijuana law, a former
lawyer and marijuana activist said yesterday.

Rick Reimez, one of 600 Canadians given special status by the feds to
legally smoke pot for medical reasons, also said the new law gives
police too much discretion.

"What happens when you have a black market commodity and ...you
enormously increase the demand by decriminalizing it but
simultaneously constrict the supply by making it far more dangerous,
what you do is create an even worse black market," Reimer said.

"(The police) will then be faced with a choice -- do we take this as a
sign that marijuana is not really a big problem and therefore start
turning more of a blind eye? Or, do we write a lot of $100 tickets.

'Afraid'

"I'd like to think the police will do (the first), but I'm afraid that
they're ... going to write a lot of $100 tickets," said Reimer, who
suffers from multiple sclerosis.

Ottawa was supposed to table its new pot laws last week.

That plan was derailed after Justice Minister Martin Cauchon went to
Washington last week to meet with his U.S. counterpart John Ashcroft.
Following that meeting, Cauchon has stalled his plans to bring the new
law forward.

But reports say the government plans to decriminalize possession of 15
grams of pot, which will be punishable by a $100 ticket for teens, and
$150 for adults. Police will also be given more discretion when it
comes to dealing with people caught with between 15 and 30 grams of
pot.

For those who toke and drive there's a proposed $400 fine. But law
enforcement officials admit the smoking and driving issue is a tough
one because there are no tools -- like the roadside breathalyser -- to
judge if a person is stoned at the wheel, and how much they've smoked.