MCLELLAN PUTS CONDITIONS ON EASING MARIJUANA LAW

The Health Minister Says the Move Must Be Accompanied By a New Drug Strategy

EDMONTON -- Federal Health Minister Anne McLellan supports decriminalizing
marijuana possession if the move is accompanied by a new national drug
strategy of education, information and treatment.

"Nobody should be under any illusions that it's healthy to smoke
marijuana," McLellan said in Edmonton. "It isn't."

The federal government is expected to unveil legislation this week aimed at
decriminalizing possession of marijuana in amounts below 15 grams. The
proposals would also include a new strategy designed by Health Canada to
discourage the use of drugs.

"I think you have the support system you have to have in place to make sure
people don't misinterpret what you're doing on the decriminalization side,"
McLellan said.

"I focus on the health elements of this, and the national drug strategy --
education, information, treatment, and making sure young people and their
families understand that this in no way sends a message that marijuana is a
good thing, and that smoking marijuana is a good thing."

Ottawa is still conducting clinical trials to determine whether marijuana
has medicinal benefits, McLellan said.

"But we know that smoking the stuff is not a healthy thing."

McLellan said American concerns about cross-border trafficking of Canadian
marijuana must be heeded.

"The United States has every right to be upset that we've got so many of
these illegal grow ops in places like the interior of British Columbia,"
she said. "We have got to make sure we are providing the resources to shut
them all down.

"Some of this stuff from B.C. is now ending up in the streets of Mexico
City. That is simply unacceptable and that is where interdiction is important."