U.S., CANADA TO HOLD JOINT TALKS

OTTAWA -- Canada isn't going soft on recreational use of pot by
decriminalizing possession of small amounts, Justice Minister Martin
Cauchon said yesterday.

Cauchon went to Washington yesterday to meet with his U.S. counterpart,
Attorney General John Ashcroft, about the "broad principles of the policy."

The move drew criticism from opposition MPs because even they haven't seen it.

Under the new law, expected to be tabled in the Commons by the end of the
week or early next, anyone caught with a small stash of pot will now face a
fine and not a criminal record.

But Cauchon said yesterday the new bill will now target either 10 or 15
grams of pot as the benchmark, indicating the government is backing off its
original plan to decriminalize possession of 30 grams.

"We are modernizing the sentences for marijuana," Prime Minister Jean
Chretien said.

"We will not make it legal. The sentences will be different -- they will be
tougher for the growers, the traffickers, and less tough for the people who
use it in small quantities."