THE COUNTRY IS GOING TO POT

It looks like the fedreral government is set to "decriminalize" the
personal use of marijuana.

Information to date on legislation to be introduced (could be today)
will see decriminalizing possession of marijauna in amounts below 15
grams.

Which means basically if you're caught with 15 grams or less you will
get a ticket, and be fined under the federal Contraventions Act but
have no criminal record.

In other words it will still be a criminal offence, but you won't go
to jail.

Currently anyone found with 30 grams or less can be charged with
common possession and anyone caught with more than that can be
prosecuted for intent to sell.

Both convictions come with a criminal record.

Federal officials have settled on 15 grams because apparently the drug
has become more potent in recent years.

Generally 15 grams is about the equivelant of 20 marijauna
cigarettes.

The legislation is reported also to emphasize tougher penalties for
those who peddle drugs.

Trafficking penalties will be doubled with jail time to be meted out
according to the amount of drugs found in a trafficker's possession.

There are pro and con arguments raging across the country on the
issue.

Marijauna activists (and we'd put the majority of Canadians under 40
into this category) are pushing the feds to go ahead.

But most of the country's police chiefs and our good neighbors to the
south are strongly anti.

Even some ministers in the federal cabinet - Health Minister Anne
McLellan and Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal leadership contender
John Manley-have expressed reservations about the
legislation.

The US opposition is so strong that Justice Minister Martin Cauchon
flew to Washington earlier this week to let the US know what the
government is doing.

(Be nice if they would let us know what they're doing
first).

Our problem is we're not universally opposed to this legislation -
just as we don't believe someone should rack up a criminal record
because they are in possession of a 2-4 or a packet of cigarettes
- -but what does it really mean?

Pot smokers argue that the criminal conviction of possession of small
amounts was causing them trouble getting a job or going to the US for
instance.

At first the decriminalization was to get rid of that stigma, but
under pressure from the US the government apparently has decided to
keep possession on the books as a "criminal" offence but ease the
penalties.

Huh?

Quite frankly the whole thing is smacking of another liberal
screw-up.

Can't they do anything right?