SOFTER MARIJUANA LAW OPPOSED

OTTAWA -- Two influential lobby groups say the Chretien government is
putting the cart before the horse in its rush to decriminalize small
amounts of marijuana for personal use.

Justice Minister Martin Cauchon is to introduce the legislation, along with
a national drug strategy, as early as Tuesday, a senior official has told
Sun Media.

"We're very concerned that decriminalization will be perceived, especially
by our young people, as legalization. Even though that's not really what's
happening, it's the public perception and yet Parliament hasn't dealt with
the whole drugs and driving issue," said Andrew Murie, the executive
director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

A survey of Ontario high school students by the Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health showed 20 per cent of students drove a vehicle within two
hours of using cannabis, while 15 per cent drove after drinking alcohol.

David Griffin, the executive officer of the Canadian Police Association,
said: "Kids are getting a message time and time again from our elected
officials that smoking marijuana is not a big deal. Yet their parents and
everybody else is trying to encourage them to make healthy choices.

"What we're seeing is a political rush to introduce legislation. Police
officers don't have the tools to deal with such issues as impaired driving
by drugs and we're seeing more problems with marijuana in our schools than
we are with alcohol."