MPS VOW TO FIGHT GRASS PLOT

Grits Split: McTeague

OTTAWA -- Many Liberal MPs are fuming over their own government's plan to
decriminalize pot and plan to fight it, Grit MP Dan McTeague says.

The Ajax-area MP said yesterday his office has been flooded with calls from
voters "demanding to know if we're out of our minds."

He said he agrees with the anger and he's going to fight his own government.

"There's going to be a battle in caucus," McTeague said.

And cops appear to side with him.

"Certainly we are against the decriminalization of 30 grams or less," OPP
Det.-Supt James Hutchinson said. "The whole cultivation of 30 grams is just
a completely different issue altogether and almost unenforceable."

Toronto Drug Squad Staff-Insp. Neale Tweedy said Hogtown cops also view the
federal plan with skepticism

Even the leader of the Marijuana Party isn't convinced, predicting police
and the government will milk the proposed decriminalization like a cash cow.

"The day that the government realizes there's money to be made by fining
marijuana users, I guarantee there's going to be an increase in
repression," Marc-Boris St-Maurice said.