GRITS MAY TABLE POT BILL EARLY IN NEW YEAR

OTTAWA -- The federal government may introduce legislation early in the new
year to decriminalize the use of marijuana, says Justice Minister Martin
Cauchon.

"If we're talking about that question of decriminalizing marijuana, we may
move ahead quickly as a government," he said yesterday outside the House of
Commons.

"I don't like to give you a date or a time frame, but let's say the
beginning of next year, the four first months of next year."

Cauchon said the long-awaited bill would depend partly on the views of a
special Commons committee which studied the use of non-medical drugs.

The committee released the first of two reports yesterday, recommending
that heroin addicts in major cities should have safe-injection sites and
needle-exchange programs.

It also said two prisons should be converted into treatment centres for
inmates. It did not suggest specific locations. Not all committee members
agreed with yesterday's recommendations, and the Canadian Police
Association raised alarms.

Canadian Alliance MPs said providing legal shooting galleries is going too far.

"We're not suggesting anyone be soft on drugs," countered Liberal MP Paddy
Torsney, head of the committee.

But she stressed that while illicit drug use is a crime, it's also a health
issue.

Ottawa needs to spend significantly more on related health costs and
educate the public about legal and illicit drugs, Torsney said.

The committee says Ottawa should "remove any federal regulatory or
legislative barriers" to ease the way for safe-injection sites and to track
how well they work. Health Canada pre-empted the committee last week when
it issued guidelines for how safe-injection drug sites will operate at
pilot sites, likely in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

Such "harm-reduction" strategies revolve around the idea that at least drug
users can be monitored and put in touch with health workers.

Police point out that crime is frequently the means by which addicts get
their drugs.

A second report is due Thursday. That report is expected to recommend that
growing pot for personal use should not be a crime.

Sources familiar with the work of the committee said the move to
decriminalize marijuana would still make the possession of pot illegal, but
the punishment would be a fine rather than a criminal record.

"If you're going to decriminalize marijuana where is a person supposed to
get it?" said one well-placed source, who confirmed that the committee is
in favour of letting Canadians grow their own pot.

A Senate committee report issued in September went even further, saying
marijuana should be legalized for use by anybody over the age of 16.

The committee found that moderate use of the drug poses no serious
long-term dangers for adults and could be sold under controlled
circumstances, like liquor or in drug stores.