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Canada: Going out with a bong
Anne McIlroy The Guardian
Wednesday 02 Oct 2002 In considering the decriminalisation of marijuana, Canada's outgoing prime minister may make a hash of US relations, writes Anne McIlroy Prime Minister Jean Chretien seems prepared to risk the ire of the United States and decriminalise the use of marijuana. Last week, the Liberal government laid out its agenda for this session of parliament and included plans to decriminalize cannabis. Mr Chretien, who has announced he will retire in 2004, is sniffing the wind for a legacy. Decriminalising marijuana has the sweet smell of something Canadians might remember him for, so the normally cautious Mr Chretien appears to be prepared to move ahead. Not that he has ever smoked any himself. "When I was young the word marijuana did not exist. I didn't know. I learned about the world long after that. It was too late to try it, " Mr Chretien, 67, recently told reporters. But his 39-year-old justice minister confesses to having inhaled. "Of course I tried it before. Obviously," said Martin Cauchon. He is keen to decriminalise marijuana, which would mean that people caught smoking the drug would get tickets instead of heavy jail sentences, punitive fines or a criminal record. The UK took a similar step earlier this year. But Britain isn't next door to the United States, where the government of President Bush continues to push an aggressive zero tolerance drug policy, for both itself and its neighbours. John Walters, the Bush administration's drug tsar, has publicly stated that if Canada decriminalises marijuana it could face serious disruptions to border trade, which is crucial to the Canadian economy. Other US politicians have warned of dire consequences if Canada becomes the pot patch of the north. Fear of angering the US is one reason why Mr Chretien has left himself room to back away from decriminalising marijuana. He has said his government will look at decriminalising pot, but has stopped short of actually promising to do so. But momentum is clearly building. Last month a Canadian senate committee made headlines, recommending that anyone over the age of 16 be able to smoke marijuana freely. If it is ever implemented, the recommendation would mean joints would be legally available to teenagers long before a pint of beer. The report, which filled four volumes, was extensively researched. It also urged amnesty for the 600,000 Canadians convicted of possessing marijuana. The senate committee argued that the recreational use of pot is no more harmful that smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol, both legal vices that provide healthy annual tax revenues. There is no reason marijuana shouldn't be legal and sold at the local store, the committee said. Canada is also moving ahead with plans to allow the use of medical marijuana, for people undergoing chemotherapy or suffering from HIV/Aids. In November, a special committee of Canada's House of Commons is due to report on the non-medical use of drugs. If it recommends decriminalisation, it will give Mr Chretien the green light to move ahead. There is no chance he will follow the advice of the senate committee and legalise marijuana, but decriminalisation looks increasingly like safe middle ground. Pot wouldn't be legal, but getting caught smoking it wouldn't mean a jail term and restricted job possibilities. Yes, the US government would be upset, but a retired Mr Chretien won't be around to face the consequences. His heir apparent, former finance minister Paul Martin, would be in charge. He might not mind standing up to Mr Bush on the issue. His aides have let it be known that he ate a hash brownie when he was a much younger man. amcilroy@globeandmail.ca
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