GRIMES AT CENTRE STAGE

After beavering away at the issue for the past 18 months, the House of
Commons committee on the non-medical use of drugs was easily upstaged this
week when it finally got around to recommending fines rather than criminal
convictions for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

The spotlight intruder was Premier Roger Grimes of Newfoundland. He would
have the committee take a bolder, and more reasonable stand in light of the
evidence unearthed by its deliberations. He would have Ottawa forget the
fines and the decriminalization procedures and simply make pot fully legal,
with age restrictions and tax benefits similar to tobacco or alcohol.

"Put an age limit on it and recognize there's some use of it out there,
make it safer, make some money from it," he said.

Well, why not? Why not, of course, is that both the Canadian Police
Association and the U.S. government continue to view any such suggestion
with shock and alarm. The police oppose it because, says Mike Neibudek,
vice-president of the Canadian Police Association, even talking
decriminalization conveys the message to youth that we are trivializing
marijuana's use. The U.S. government opposes it largely because it is one
of the big demons in the U.S. war on drugs. John Walters, the commander of
the U.S. anti-drug forces is a known opponent of marijuana
decriminalization. He has had few qualms about expressing concern for
increased flows of Canadian marijuana to the United States.

True enough, federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon bravely maintains that
he isn't worried that Canadian moves to decriminalize pot will strain
bilateral relations. But in light of suggestions -- the latest from former
prime minister Brian Mulroney -- that relations between Ottawa and
Washington are "worrisome" it must surely be a consideration.

For all that, the Commons committee recommendations are about as modest as
it gets. Possession of up to 30 grams (not much) would be treated as a
regulatory offence. It would not land someone with a criminal record.
Anything over that would. And trafficking in any amount would remain a crime.

Yet the Grimes' route is out there and it's not going away. Indeed, given
the prevalence of marijuana, marijuana use and marijuana convictions -- an
estimated 600,000 Canadians are weighted down with criminal records for
possession of cannabis products -- the Newfoundland premier would seem to
be far more in tune with Canadian habits than the 13 members of the Commons
committee.

But Grimes obviously won't have the last word. Nor, for that matter will
Cauchon. George W. Bush will.