NO RUSH TO DECRIMINALIZE POT

The Chretien government's delay for a special Commons committee report
before rolling out pot decriminalization legislation is just a smokescreen,
says a drug policy analyst.

"Some politicians were having cold feet about confronting the issue of
legalization boldly," said Eugene Oscapella, a founding member of the
Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, and an Ottawa lawyer serving on the
Law Reform Commission of Canada.

Last week's throne speech promised changes to Canada's drug laws, including
the possibility of decriminalizing marijuana possession.

But House leader Don Boudria said the Liberals will wait for the November
release of a Commons special committee report on the non-medical use of
illegal drugs.

Given the exhaustive study on cannabis use that the Special Senate
Committee on Illegal Drugs recently completed, there's really no need for
more data from the Commons committee, said Oscapella.

"The Senate committee did, by far, the most thorough job when it comes to
studying the use and effects of cannabis," Oscapella said.

The only thing the Commons report will do is offer some kind of compromise
or political middle-ground for federal Liberals leery of legalizing pot, he
said.

"We seem to be afraid of letting go of the criminal justice method of
eliminating drug abuse. And, if anything, the criminal justice system has
been an unmitigated failure."

Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon deemed it important to wait for the
Commons report to have every bit of information available, said a
department spokesman.

"The minister has said he wants to look at the possibility of
decriminalization," said Patrick Charette.

Decriminalization legislation will likely be considered early next year,
Charette said, but added "there's no plan to legalize marijuana at this time."