|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
Canada: Minister Considers Relaxing Pot Laws
ccguide Tuesday 16 Jul 2002 Pubdate: Sat, 13 Jul 2002 Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB) Copyright: 2002 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: Website: http://www.fyiwinnipeg.com/winsun.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503 Author: Isabelle Rodrigue, Canadian Press MINISTER CONSIDERS RELAXING POT LAWS OTTAWA (CP) -- Justice Minister Martin Cauchon is considering relaxing Canada's marijuana laws to make possession punishable by a fine instead of a prison sentence, The Canadian Press has learned. But Cauchon's plans do not include making the drug legal, said highly placed sources in the Justice Department. While fines would be imposed for possession of marijuana, trafficking would continue to draw harsher punishments, the sources said. Cauchon might address the issue at a meeting of the Canadian Bar next month in London, Ont., they added. The report comes the same week that Britain announced it will virtually decriminalize cannabis to give police more time to fight the use of hard drugs. Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, chairman of a Senate committee looking at illegal drugs, dismissed the idea of imposing fines on marijuana users. "Most of those who are caught are young people and poor people," Nolin said. "But they don't pay their fines. And what happens when we don't pay fines? We go to prison." Nolin is expected to table his report on Sept. 4. In Canada, more than 250 people have clearance to smoke marijuana provided by the federal government. Ottawa amended drug laws last year to allow such clearance for patients with conditions such as HIV, cancer and multiple sclerosis. Proponents of decriminalization dismiss the war on drugs as a waste of time and money. Marijuana leaves no long-term effects on most users, and an estimated 30-50% of Canadians aged 15-24 have used the drug despite its illegality, critics say. - --- MAP posted-by: Alex
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!