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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Canada: Martin Wants Fines For Pot
Mark Browne Esquimalt News (CN BC)
Thursday 11 Oct 2001 If Keith Martin had his way, anyone caught by the police with a small amount of pot wouldn't have to worry about facing a criminal charge. The Canadian Alliance MP for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca addressed a House of Commons sub-committee on Oct. 3 and argued to have his Private Members Bill, which pushes for decriminalization of marijuana, voted on in the House of Commons. If everything goes well, Martin will get the opportunity to have his bill debated in the House of Commons. Martin's bill calls for the decriminalization of marijuana for anyone found to be in simple possession of pot. If the bill were to ever become legislation, a person caught with a small amount of marijuana wouldn't face criminal prosecution. Instead, says Martin, they would be fined in the same way you pay a fine for a traffic violation. Fines would be $200 for the first offence, $500 for the second offence and $1,000 for the third offence. Martin contends keeping people who are found with a small amount of pot in their possession out of the criminal courts will save the taxpayers a lot of money. "It will enable us to save about $150 million out of our criminal justice system," he says. The money saved could be used to go after drug traffickers and organized crime, says Martin. As well, more money would be available for police to focus on more serious offences and for drug prevention programs. Attempts at decriminalizing marijuana have a good track record in other countries. Martin points out that in London, England authorities have experimented with fining people instead of charging them for being in possession of small amounts of marijuana. "And it's working out very well," he says. Martin notes that since the Netherlands decriminalized pot, heroin use in that country has significantly dropped. The time is ripe to decriminalize pot in Canada, he says, noting that 75 per cent of Canadians polled support decriminalizing marijuana. Martin says he's received little opposition from other Alliance MPs in his quest to have marijuana decriminalized. There's another reason why Martin is trying to get his Private Members Bill debated in the House of Commons. He says he's hoping if the bill receives debate it will pave the way for discussion on ways to address problems associated with the international drug trade. For instance, says Martin, heroin addicts could be dealt with through a medical model rather than through a criminal model. As well, Martin says changes to laws could make it easier to put large criminal organizations that sell drugs out of business. Also, governments need to have the powers to prevent such organizations from obtaining chemicals used to manufacture illicit drugs, says Martin.
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