Canada decriminalizes some pot use

[bigpoppanils]

Canada to Decriminalize

Some Use of Marijuana

By JOEL BAGLOLE

Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

OTTAWA -- Angering U.S. officials, the Canadian government Wednesday unveiled in Parliament new legislation that decriminalizes the personal use of small amounts of marijuana, making possession of the drug a noncriminal offense punishable with a ticket and fine, similar to those issued for traffic infractions.

Calling the ticket and fine approach "alternative penalties," Canada's justice minister, Martin Cauchon, said drug use "is still harmful" and emphasized that "zero use of marijuana" remains the government's goal. However, Mr. Cauchon said previous efforts to combat drug use have failed. He noted that an estimated 100,000 Canadians use marijuana daily.

Mr. Cauchon said the government plans to pass the marijuana legislation into law by year end.

U.S. government and law-enforcement officials in recent months have expressed outrage with Canada's plans to relax marijuana laws. U.S. drug czar John Walters has said looser drug laws in Canada could result in tighter security along the U.S. border. Exact figures are hard to come by, but some police groups estimate 10 billion Canadian dollars (US$7.28 billion) a year of illegal drugs, mostly marijuana, enters the U.S. from Canada. According to Canadian government officials, Canada is the third-largest marijuana supplier to the U.S., after Mexico and Columbia. U.S.-Canada relations are already under strain due to a series of contentious trade disputes.

Write to Joel Baglole at joel.baglole@wsj.com

Updated May 28, 2003

[cintron]

of course it'd piss off US officials!

word up to the Christian sense of guilt and immorality over something that induces pleasure!

i'm fucking glad. Maybe the US will wake up and follow suit, so they can spend their money on more important things.

[crobra]

The government should just legalize and tax it!!