CANADA, U.S. TO HAVE POT TALK

Minister Wants To Outline Drug Plan

Plans To Ease Law Sparked Concern

OTTAWA—Justice Minister Martin Cauchon travels today to Washington to allay
U.S. concerns over the Liberal government's plan to ease its marijuana laws.

Cauchon is expected to outline the government's plan to beef up the
National Drug Strategy, with more emphasis on law enforcement against
traffickers and "illegal growing operations" and less emphasis on
individual, recreational users of pot.

Although the government has signalled for months it will "decriminalize"
marijuana, the plan triggered an outcry from law enforcement officials in
the United States. Now, sources say, the Liberals have decided to retain
possession of small amounts as a "criminal" offence while at the same time
easing sanctions under the law.

As the Star reported Saturday, the government plans to offer "alternative"
penalties such as fines rather than jail under the Contraventions Act, and
leave enforcement and collection of those fines to the provinces. The
intent is to ensure those caught with small amounts of pot — less than 20
grams — do not get stuck with a criminal record.

In addition, the government will emphasize tougher penalties for those who
peddle drugs. Sources say trafficking penalties will be doubled, with jail
time to be meted out according to the amount of drugs found in a
trafficker's possession.

The move today to explain the policy to U.S. administration officials is
unusual because the policy has not yet been unveiled in Parliament. That's
expected as early as Thursday.

In the Commons yesterday, Cauchon revealed little about the strategy. But
he noted a Commons committee last year "supported the idea of proceeding
with alternative measures and decriminalization."

"We are talking about investing in research," he added. "We are talking
about better enforcement. The message that we want to send to all Canadians
is that the use of drugs in Canada is illegal. We want to make sure that
people understand that it is harmful to their health."

Cauchon will meet today with his U.S. counterpart, Attorney-General John
Ashcroft, to outline the plan, which has been crafted after Liberal cabinet
colleagues voiced concerns about U.S. opposition to any move toward softer
drug laws.

In an interview last week, Cauchon told the Star he spoke briefly about the
renewed National Drug Strategy to Ashcroft last week at a G-8 justice
ministers' meeting in France.

Yesterday in the Commons, Canadian Alliance MP Randy White
(Langley-Abbotsford) , who supports a broader drug rehabilitation program,
asked why a drug strategy had not been put in place prior to the
announcement of the decriminalization of marijuana.

Cauchon said the plan will be a "reform of the cannabis law and, at the
same time, the renewal of the national drug strategy as a package."