OTTAWA DELAYS INTRODUCTION OF MARIJUANA LEGISLATION

Cauchon Denies Move Is Due To Meeting With American Attorney-General Ashcroft

OTTAWA -- The Liberal government has put off its plans to table legislation
to decriminalize marijuana this week -- a move opposition critics decried
as bowing to pressure from the U.S. government.

But Justice Minister Martin Cauchon played down suggestions he is stalling
tabling the bill because of a meeting a day earlier with U.S.
Attorney-General John Ashcroft in Washington.

"We meet on a regular basis," he said. "It was a cordial meeting and I said
I would be [introducing] the policy shortly after the week break."

Parliament does not sit next week, so the bill would not be tabled until
the last week of May at the earliest.

"I believe that the policy we table will be good for Canada and we'll make
sure the government sends a good message," Mr. Cauchon added.

New Democrat MP Libby Davies, a member of a special parliamentary committee
on the non-medical use of drugs, saw the timing of the legislation after
the meeting in the United States as "suspicious."

"Mr. Cauchon has been promising this legislation repeatedly," the Vancouver
MP said. "It's outrageous he would get his marching orders from the States.
He has to come clean with what his agenda is."

The changes to Canada's marijuana laws were expected to be introduced in
Parliament today and lobby groups were told in advance that the legislation
would be tabled this week.

Mr. Cauchon said the meeting with his U.S. counterpart was "cordial," but
would not elaborate on the U.S. administration's concerns.

"It's [not up] to me to comment on their position," he said.

The Liberal government plan is to decriminalize possession of small amounts
of marijuana. The change would do away with criminal fines and jail terms
for people convicted of possession of limited quantities. Instead, they
would be fined in much the same manner as a traffic violation.

Currently, anyone found with 30 grams or less can be charged with common
possession of the drug, while anyone with more than 30 grams can be
prosecuted for intent to sell.

Federal sources have told The Globe and Mail that the proposed law would
decriminalize possession of under 15 grams of marijuana. Depending upon how
they are rolled, that amount of cannabis is equal to about 20 cigarettes.

U.S. officials, including White House director of drug-control policy John
Walters, have expressed concerns that such a move would result in more pot
flowing across the border.

It was unclear yesterday why the Liberals had pushed the tabling of the
legislation back until month's end, but Health Minister Anne McLellan said
she is still waiting to secure funding for a national drug strategy to
coincide with the bill.

"When I'm satisfied that I have what I need in terms of the requisite
levels of funding to do the components that relate to at least my
department, than I'll move forward," she said. "But I'm not going to move
forward until then.

"In fact, some would argue you need that strategy, especially the
education, information and community-support component in place before you
start talking about changing the penalties around possession of small
amounts of marijuana."

Ms. McLellan also warned that more Canadians would be smoking pot -- at
least in the short-term -- after Ottawa decriminalizes the drug.

Reports from a dozen U.S. states that have dropped criminal sanctions for
simple pot possession indicate there's an increase in use of marijuana
immediately after the law is changed, she said.

But Ms. McLellan said the levels of usage would eventually drop back to
normal and that her department is polishing a national drug strategy to
educate Canadians about the health-related dangers of smoking marijuana.

"Certainly one has to be ready to deal with that spike," she said. "It can
lead to addiction. It can lead to all sorts of situations within local
communities. You need to be ready with information, with education and with
treatment."

In recent days, Prime Minister Jean Chretien has said the proposed law to
decriminalize marijuana will also saddle drug dealers and pot growers with
tougher jail sentences.

"The smoking of marijuana is not a good thing," Ms. McLellan said. "It is
not a good thing. That's the bottom line."