JUSTICE MINISTER AWAITING CHANGES TO MARIJUANA LAW

The Yukon government will wait until Ottawa makes an official decision
before it gets off the pot on the issue of decriminalizing marijuana.

Recently, a committee of federal MPs released a report recommending that
anybody caught with up to 30 grams of marijuana receive a fine instead of
being charged and left with a criminal record.

According to the report, fines would be paid without a court appearance and
people would not receive a criminal conviction, much like a speeding ticket.

However, the selling of marijuana would remain a crime.

Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon has said the government could
introduce a bill in the House of Commons to decriminalize the possession of
marijuana.

While Cauchon's comments and the committee's report have some provinces
concerned, the Yukon government won't say anything until it sees some action.

Cabinet spokesman Peter Carr said last week that Justice Minister Elaine
Taylor will not comment on the possibility of decriminalizing marijuana
until the federal government actually does something on the matter besides
talk about it.

The ideas being thrown forward by Ottawa would also cut cultivating small
amounts of weed at home from the list of criminal offences.

However, there has been no suggestion by the committee to legalize the
possession of pot.

According to The Canadian Press, committee chair Paddy Torsney, a Liberal
MP from the riding of Burlington, Ont., said two weeks ago that while
smoking grass is not healthy, the legal consequences do not match the
potential harm of using the drug. The special committee was created to
study the non-medical use of marijuana.

Torsney also said the committee had been told the prosecution of
cannabis-related charges takes up too much time in the legal system.