NEW DRUG STRATEGY TO TARGET TRAFFICKERS

Focus To Be On Prevention 15 Grams Of Pot A Minor Offence

OTTAWA--A renewed National Drug Strategy expected to be tabled this week
will include spending more than $200 million over five years on more drug
enforcement and education and prevention programs.

The legislative package will make possession of less than 15 grams of
marijuana a minor offence that would incur a $100 fine but not a jail term
or a criminal record, sources say.

The 15-gram cut-off is half what a Commons committee suggested last year
could be considered "a small amount" for the purposes of decriminalization.

Insiders say the smaller amount reflects the high potency of marijuana
available today.

Police would have discretion to lay a criminal charge or issue a ticket
against a person caught with an amount between 15 to 30 grams, sources
said. And possession of more than 30 grams would remain a criminal offence
that could bring a jail term.

At the same time, the Liberal government is expected to double criminal
sanctions for drug traffickers, target illegal growers of pot, and put more
resources into law enforcement to prevent what the U.S. says is a growing
cross-border traffic in high-grade marijuana.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Jean Chretien emphasized that simple marijuana
possession would remain illegal, and downplayed American opposition to the
Liberal government's plan, even as Justice Minister Martin Cauchon flew to
Washington to give a preview of the plan to the U.S. attorney-general.

Chretien suggested after the weekly cabinet meeting that the recent outcry
in the U.S. was merely "a problem of presentation." "We are modernizing the
sentences for marijuana. It's not legal. We will not make it legal. The
sentences will be different. They will be tougher for the growers, the
trafficker, and less tough for people who use it in small quantity. But
it's still illegal."

The bill may be introduced Friday, or postponed until after a week-long
parliamentary adjournment next week.