hamilton Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 From CTV (cut and paste... a wonderful thing!):CTV.ca News Staff Updated: Mon. Nov. 1 2004 11:35 PM ET The federal government has reintroduced a bill to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.It means persons caught with 15 grams of marijuana or less will face a fine rather than a criminal charge."Cannabis use is harmful and it will remain illegal in Canada. What would change is the approach to enforcement," said Justice Minister Irwin Cotler in a news release issued Monday. "We are proposing a more consistent application of our cannabis possession laws." Previous legislation died when Parliament was dissolved for the June federal election. It had previously died during the changeover from former prime minister Jean Chretien to Prime Minister Paul Martin.Former justice minister Martin Cauchon, who has left politics, was a champion of the bill.Martin has spoken in favour of the change, although he had talked in December about possibly lowering the possession limit from 15 grams.While the U.S. might not like the decriminalization of simple possession, Martin said: "Canada will make its own decisions based on our values."In a parallel move, the government also introduced legislation that will target drug-impaired driving and promised new laws tougher penalties for those commercially cultivating marijuana.On cultivation, Cotler said: "New criminal offences and tough sentences are needed to combat the increasing problem of marijuana grow-ops, which pose unacceptable risks to public safety." He explained the driving related changes this way: "Currently, suspected drivers can volunteer to participate in testing. This legislation will allow the police to require these tests in order to apprehend those suspected of drug-impaired driving."The feds also committed $6.9 million to help police investigate drug-impaired driving cases, primarily by training officers to recognize the drug-impaired.It isn't known when these proposed legal changes will become law.With files from The Canadian Press© Copyright 2004 Bell Globemedia Inc.Link to story here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Gutless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hux Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 ...baby steps my friend baby steps, that's the only way this thing will happen...our society is not ready to have "The Pot Depot" on every corner, any step forward is a good one in my view. The part of the bill I like is you can grow 1-3 plants and only face a fine. For someone like myself who does not d*al or involved in any grow-up, this is excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bONES Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Gutless. absolutely The part of the bill I like is you can grow 1-3 plants and only face a fine. this is excellent. fu©k that! we should all have the freedom to grow at least a dozen plants in our gardens if we choose to do so. it's all about money and politics...but they're one and the same! who gives a sh!t about our rights and freedoms as the people who make up this great country. that's what this bill says to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hux Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 "we should all have the freedom to grow at least a dozen plants in our gardens if we choose to do so." I agree completely. However, we live in the real world and politics is the necessary evil in this thing we call democracy. Politics is about consensus, and in order to achieve consensus we give and take, this is reality. Canadian society is not yet at the level of tolerance of your average wookie, but - we are more tolerant on this issue than most countries, so understand that until the rest of the country is of like mind to us (which is at the extreme polar end of this issue - I'm there too) it's baby steps like this, that begin that process. If it was all about money, the Gov't would never have proposed a bill that enrages our largest trading partner (U.S.) - Also, remember it's reasons like this why a Conservative gov't would never touch this issue = priorities. Would you rather the gov't proposed full legalization and open growing, sure that would take "guts" - those in the political world would say stupidity - because, it would NEVER NEVER EVER EVER pass, and we would be back to where we are now. Amsterdam wasn't built in a day friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bONES Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Would you rather the gov't proposed full legalization and open growing, sure that would take "guts" - those in the political world would say stupidity - because, it would NEVER NEVER EVER EVER pass, and we would be back to where we are now. i agree. but giving me 6 months in jail for possessing 16 grams is unexceptable to me and i would hope most Canadians. it's not a good bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberHippie Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Well I guess it all comes down to how it's enforced. It's possible that this more laxed attitude could soften things up a lot. Just because they can put you in jail for 6 months for 16 grams doesn't mean they would. Likewise, just because they can fine you for having 15 grams doesn't mean they would. Then again, if this gets put in place they could adapt a zero tolerance and bust everyone for everything to the full extent of the law. I guess it'll probably depend a lot on how 'cool' the copper is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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