POSSESSION LIMIT SEEN TOO HIGH

Public Input Eyed On Law

Provencher MP Vic Toews will be seeking the opinions of constituents before
deciding on his final position on a House of Commons committee report on
the decriminalization of marijuana.

The committee's main recommendation is that marijuana possession should be
decriminalized in cases involving up to 30 grams, meaning that it would
remain an offence punishable by a fine but would not result in a criminal
record.

Toews has sent over 300 letters to church leaders, school trustees, MLAs
and other community leaders.

"This is a matter that should rightly be resolved in Parliament only after
the elected members have heard from the people they represent," he commented.

Toews noted the proposed 30-gram limit is five times greater than the
amount permitted by the liberal drug laws in Holland. Many people have
expressed the concern that because 30 grams of marijuana amounts to
approximately 40-50 marijuana cigarettes, it will be difficult for police
to determine if the drug is being kept for personal use, or for the
purposes of trafficking.

The Canadian Alliance members on the Commons drug committee disagreed with
the Liberal majority, stating that while all use and possession of
marijuana must remain illegal, only amounts less than five grams should be
decriminalized. Furthermore the Canadian Alliance report maintained that
the sale of any amount of marijuana must remain a criminal offence and that
all fine payments must be vigorously enforced.

Canadian Alliance members also expressed concern about the lack of any
effective roadside evaluation tools to determine whether motorists are
impaired by drugs in their ability to drive.

"Studies have demonstrated that marijuana use by motorists presents a
significant safety concern. It is important that the Liberals take steps to
ensure that the lives of innocent victims using our highways are protected
if they proceed with laws that may result in greater accessibility to this
drug," Toews added.