ASHCROFT BRIEFING ON POT LAW PLAN

OTTAWA -- Canada isn't going soft on recreational use of pot by
decriminalizing possession of small amounts of weed, Justice Minister
Martin Cauchon said yesterday. Cauchon went to Washington yesterday to meet
with his U.S. counterpart, Attorney General John Ashcroft, to present
Canada's new plan to revamp its pot laws - a move that drew criticism from
the opposition because MPs haven't seen it.

"We want to make sure that we will put in place better penalties that we
will be able to enforce," Cauchon said. He was going to Washington, he
said, to inform Ashcroft about the "broad principles of the policy."

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

Under the new law, expected to be tabled in the Commons by the end of the
week or early next, it will no longer be a criminal offence to possess
small amounts of pot. Instead, those who are caught with a small stash will
face a fine and not a criminal record.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien defended the changes.

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