Tories Blow Off Idea Of Decriminalizing Pot

[ZenLunatic]

Potheads beware: the new Conservative government has no plans to resurrect Liberal efforts to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

"We have no plans to bring any bill forward," said a spokesman for Justice Minister Vic Toews. Public toking became more common as the former government moved to loosen laws, but police in some areas are cracking down again.

[ZenLunatic]

OTTAWA - Potheads beware: the Conservative government has no plans to relax marijuana laws as arrests in some regions are expected to rise.

A spokesman for Justice Minister Vic Toews was unmistakenly blunt when asked if the Tories would resurrect Liberal efforts to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana.

"It is a very short answer and the answer is No," said Mike Storeshaw.

"We have no plans to bring any bill forward."

Public toking became more common in parts of Canada as the former government moved to loosen laws. Three young men walking along Ottawa's Wellington Street passed a joint openly among themselves Monday as they strolled through the shadow of Parliament's Peace Tower.

But police in some areas are once again cracking down.

"I think we're in a dark period right now," said Alan Young, a marijuana activist and professor at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

"They're going after growers and seed dealers, and more people are being charged with simple possession."

Liberals moved to treat possession of less than 15 grams of pot - roughly 20 joints - as a minor offence punishable by fines of $100 to $400, much like traffic tickets.

But the most recent related bill died when the last federal election was called in November.

Before that, the Liberals were harshly rebuked by legislators in the United States. Former American ambassador Paul Cellucci hinted of border tie-ups if Canadian pot laws were eased.

U.S. protests continued despite the fact that several U.S. states have already decriminalized marijuana in much the same way.

Young says pot activists fighting to keep the cause alive are out of luck, but not forever.

"It's dead - for the time being," he said. "This issue goes in cycles."

Young predicts that Ottawa won't be able to indefinitely ignore a growing number of pot users.

"We're a drug-consuming culture and we've got to start regulating it."

Pot is the most popular illicit drug in the country, says the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

A comprehensive national survey of drug use, released in 2004, found that about 15 per cent of the adult population had used cannibis in the past year, up from seven per cent in 1994.

The centre warns of side-effects ranging from impaired concentration to respiratory damage, depression, paranoia and the possible aggravation of pre-existing psychiatric symptoms.

While in opposition, Toews assailed the Liberals for moving to increase pot demand while at the same time cracking down on suppliers with tougher trafficking measures.

Critics also stressed the fact that police still have no reliable roadside test to snag stoned drivers. Also missing is a national drug strategy to discourage use.

Still, pot advocates say marijuana on the whole is a lesser social hazard than alcohol.

"It's much less harmful to our society than other legal activities and substances," says Kirk Tousaw, general counsel to the B.C. Marijuana Party.

"Unfortunately, ( Prime Minister Stephen ) Harper ran on a get-tough-on-crime, lock-'em-up platform that isn't going to do anyone in Canada any good - except for perhaps those in the prison-building industry."

Tousaw, a criminal defence lawyer, says marijuana prohibition flies in the face of bedrock conservative principles.

"It's the antithesis of individual liberty. It is an economic program that's just dumping good money after bad: the courts, the jails, the police time."

Moreover, pot laws are inconsistently applied across Canada, Tousaw says.

"I'm a white, middle-class father of two. If I'm using marijuana in my own home, I run virtually no risk of being arrested."

The homeless who smoke up in parks, for example, are much more likely to be charged, he says.

"It's just another way that the law discriminates against both visible minorities and those with lower socio-economic standing."

Toews barely stopped Tuesday when asked about such inconsistencies.

"We have a law on the books don't we?" he said before brushing past reporters.

'Harper ran on a get-tough-on-crime, lock-'em-up platform that isn't going to do anyone in Canada any good - except for perhaps those in the prison-building industry.'

[ZenLunatic]

OTTAWA ( CP ) - Potheads beware: the Conservative government has no plans to relax marijuana laws as arrests in some regions are expected to rise.

A spokesman for Justice Minister Vic Toews was brusk when asked if the Tories would resurrect Liberal efforts to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana.

"It is a very short answer and the answer is No," said Mike Storeshaw.

"We have no plans to bring any bill forward."

Public toking became more common in parts of Canada as the former government moved to loosen laws. Three young men walking along Ottawa's Wellington Street openly passed a joint between them Tuesday as they strolled through the shadow of Parliament's Peace Tower.

But police in some areas are once again cracking down.

"I think we're in a dark period right now," said Alan Young, a marijuana activist and professor at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

"They're going after growers and seed dealers, and more people are being charged with simple possession."

Liberals moved to treat possession of less than 15 grams of pot - roughly 20 joints - as a minor offence punishable by fines of $100 to $400, much like traffic tickets.

But the most recent related bill died when the last federal election was called in November.

Before that, the Liberals were harshly rebuked by legislators in the United States. Former American ambassador Paul Cellucci hinted of border tie-ups if Canadian pot laws were eased.

U.S. protests continued despite the fact that several U.S. states have already decriminalized marijuana in much the same way.

Young says pot activists fighting to keep the cause alive are out of luck, but not forever.

"It's dead - for the time being," he said. "This issue goes in cycles."

Young predicts that Ottawa won't be able to indefinitely ignore a growing number of pot users.

"We're a drug-consuming culture and we've got to start regulating it."

Pot is the most popular illicit drug in the country, says the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

A major national survey released in 2004 found that about 15 per cent of the adult population had used cannibis in the year before, up from seven per cent in 1994. That number jumped to almost 29 per cent among university students, and was at least 23 per cent for those aged 13 to 18.

The centre warns of side-effects ranging from impaired concentration to respiratory damage, depression, paranoia and the possible aggravation of pre-existing psychiatric symptoms.

While in opposition, Toews assailed the Liberals for moving to increase pot demand while at the same time cracking down on suppliers with tougher trafficking penalties.

Critics stressed the fact that police still have no reliable roadside test to snag stoned drivers. Also missing is a national drug strategy to discourage use.

Still, pot advocates say marijuana on the whole is a lesser hazard than alcohol.

"It's much less harmful to our society than other legal activities and substances," says Kirk Tousaw, general counsel to the B.C. Marijuana Party.

"Unfortunately, ( Prime Minister Stephen ) Harper ran on a get-tough-on-crime, lock-'em-up platform that isn't going to do anyone in Canada any good - except for perhaps those in the prison-building industry."

Tousaw, a criminal defence lawyer, says marijuana prohibition flies in the face of bedrock conservative principles.

"It's the antithesis of individual liberty. It is an economic program that's just dumping good money after bad: the courts, the jails, the police time."

Moreover, pot laws are inconsistently applied across Canada, Tousaw says.

"I'm a white, middle-class father of two. If I'm using marijuana in my own home, I run virtually no risk of being arrested."

The homeless who smoke up in parks, for example, are much more likely to be charged, he says.

"It's just another way that the law discriminates against both visible minorities and those with lower socio-economic standing."

Toews barely stopped Tuesday when asked about such inconsistencies.

"We have a law on the books don't we?" he said before brushing past reporters.

[ZenLunatic]

The Conservative government said yesterday it would not be revisiting the Liberal plan to decriminalize marijuana.

That's a step backwards, according to ex-Seattle police chief and outspoken drug legalization advocate Norm Stamper.

"In this hemisphere, Canada is leading the way. You've got a new government that is going to retard some of that progress," he predicted one day before the announcement.

Stamper said his 34 years of experience as a cop convinced him that prohibition only "creates an underworld of criminal activity." He also discounted the theory that marijuana leads to harder drugs.

Stamper noted that many scientific studies back up his conclusions, but said such evidence is undermined by the "propaganda machine" that sustains the war on drugs. He accused U.S. drug warriors of taking their battle into other countries, including Canada.

[ZenLunatic]

OTTAWA ( CP ) -- Potheads beware: The Conservative government has no plans to relax marijuana laws and arrests in some regions are expected to rise.

A spokesman for Justice Minister Vic Toews was brusque when asked yesterday if the Tories would resurrect Liberal efforts to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana.

"It is a very short answer and the answer is No," said Mike Storeshaw. "We have no plans to bring any bill forward."

Liberals were moving to treat possession of less than 15 grams of pot - -- 20 joints -- as a minor offence punishable by fines of $100 to $400, much like traffic tickets. But the bill died when the election was called in November.

"It's dead -- for the time being," said Alan Young, a marijuana activist and professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. "I think we're in a dark period right now. They're going after growers and seed dealers, and more people are being charged with simple possession."