FEDS GANJA MOVE FAST

Justice Martin Cauchon gave the strongest indication yesterday that Canada
might decriminalize pot.

"If we're talking about that question of decriminalizing marijuana, we may
move ahead quickly as a government," Cauchon told reporters.

"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."

Report Thursday

He said a parliamentary committee's report, expected to be made public
Thursday, will impact on the kind of law he'll bring down.

It's expected the special committee will support the proposition that
growing pot for personal use should not be a crime.

The same committee released its first report yesterday, recommending safe
injection sites and needle exchange programs for heroin addicts in major
Canadian cities.

In September, a Senate committee recommended that pot be legally available
for anyone over the age of 16.