cannabisnews.com: PM To Move on Decriminalizing Marijuana





PM To Move on Decriminalizing Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on January 11, 2003 at 13:29:12 PT
By Janice Tibbetts and Shannon Kari, Southam News 
Source: National Post 
After appearing hesitant before Christmas, Jean Chrétien is now ready to move quickly to decriminalize possession of marijuana. "The PM is strong on this," said a spokesman from the Prime Minister's Office. "The government is determined to address this issue."The spokesman, who did not want to be named, denied that Mr. Chrétien has changed his mind since he said in an interview with Global TV last month that there would have to be a full debate on the issue and that the government would make a decision "one day."
"I don't think he has ever had a change of heart," said the spokesman. "I just think that he really wanted to make sure that before legislation is introduced, that caucus and Cabinet and everybody who is involved in this have their opinions expressed before moving ahead."In the Christmas interview, Mr. Chrétien went out of his way to say that he has never tried marijuana and that he does not even know what it smells like.In an offensive move to show that Mr. Chrétien and Martin Cauchon, the Minister of Justice, are in sync, the Prime Minister's Office supplied transcripts yesterday of a justice committee hearing in 1980, when Mr. Chrétien, who was then justice minister, said that he supported decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana so that young people "will not have a stigma for the rest of their lives."But he stressed at the time that he did not think the government should legalize marijuana, so that people caught with pot would receive no penalty at all.Despite his stated intentions, marijuana possession has remained a criminal offence. Decades of failed government promises has sparked criticism from marijuana enthusiasts who say they are skeptical that the law will ever change.Yesterday a second Ontario Court judge ruled that there is currently no law prohibiting the possession of small amounts of marijuana.Justice John Moore threw out marijuana possession charges against Martin Barnes, a 40-year-old Toronto man who was arrested last summer by police with the equivalent of one joint, or about $5 worth of marijuana, in his coat pocket."Mr. Barnes was charged with an offence not known to law," Judge Moore said as he quashed the charges.The judge said he arrived at the decision by following a "common sense" path in the wake of a number of recent court rulings. Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/ptm.htm Source: National Post (Canada)Author: Janice Tibbetts and Shannon Kari, Southam News Published: Saturday, January 11, 2003Copyright: 2003 Southam Inc.Contact: letters nationalpost.comWebsite: http://www.nationalpost.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmPot Laws Could Be Eased, Cauchon Says http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13427.shtmlOttawa May Ease Laws on Marijuana Possession http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13426.shtmlCanada Considers Easing Marijuana Laws http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13424.shtml 
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Comment #12 posted by The GCW on January 12, 2003 at 05:34:28 PT
Create wind.
THis may be the 1st I've heard from Jean Chrétien implying He "is now ready to move quickly to decriminalize"This is another move on the board... and a very significant good move if it proves true.That, right there could be the proverbial camels back, in Cannada, as far as criminal records and the cage, go.If PRIME MINISTER Jean Chrétien, DOES come out in favor of decriminalization, may it be swift and create wind.  
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on January 11, 2003 at 17:05:14 PT
BGreen 
I'll check it out later on when it is easier to connect. Thanks for the link. We have the best news available in the whole world anymore. I don't barely turn on the news on tv because it's all about war. I do feel bad if they bring back the draft but they will if we really go to war. If a person never lived thru the draft they don't understand how bad it is when you don't have a choice to go in the service or not but I never knew a world without the draft when it effected me and those I cared for.
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Comment #10 posted by BGreen on January 11, 2003 at 16:42:51 PT
Here's The Link To The Richard Cowan Interview
It's from Pot-TV news last October and features Richard talking to Michelle Kubby by phone about 15 minutes into the show. He mentions the same thing TroutMask wrote in comment #6 plus the six month opt out.It's running very slow right now, but it's worth watching at a later time.
RICHARD COWAN: TREATIES NO BARRIER TO LEGALIZATION
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on January 11, 2003 at 16:19:16 PT
BGreen
What a wonderful summer it will be too!
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Comment #8 posted by BGreen on January 11, 2003 at 16:15:45 PT
Richard Cowan Said 6 Months Notice
was all it took to opt out of the international drug treaties.Summer here we come.Bud Green
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on January 11, 2003 at 15:28:45 PT
TroutMask 
I hope you are right. I really do. Then they should legalize and get on with issues that are important to them. 
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Comment #6 posted by TroutMask on January 11, 2003 at 15:24:12 PT
International Drug Treaties
It is my understanding that the international drug treaties say specifically that nothing in the treaties can take precedence over a country's constitution. That is, if a law is unconstitutional in your country, then you are not bound by the treaties to enforce it. So letting the courts legalize marijuana is the ultimate easy way out.-TM
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on January 11, 2003 at 14:54:53 PT
BGreen
You're right. I wonder why they have been silent? Now that they seem to have a lot of good Cannabis from the Flin Flon Mine when they try to distribute it what will our government say because of the International Drug Laws? Very interesting events these days.
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Comment #4 posted by BGreen on January 11, 2003 at 14:43:50 PT
Walters and Hutchinson et al. Have Been Silent
about the recent court decisions because they can't bully the Canadian court system.If the legislators try to address the issue we're going to see the posturing and rhetoric from the police states of amerika increase to unprecedented levels.
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on January 11, 2003 at 14:42:38 PT
CN ON: Quote Of The Day
QUOTE OF THE DAY 'Consorting with criminal drug dealers strikes me as a relatively risky means of obtaining medicine.' Ontario Superior Court Judge Sidney Lederman on medicinal users of marijuana being forced to turn to the black market to obtain supplies. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n051/a05.html?397
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on January 11, 2003 at 13:46:56 PT
TroutMask
I know what you mean. Everything is so confusing now they need to wait and think about what this means. The only logical answer is legalization and they need to be sure they see it. They must address the supply side. If they bury their heads on the supply end all it will be is more problems for the courts in the future.
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Comment #1 posted by TroutMask on January 11, 2003 at 13:37:23 PT
Don't Move!
All this time I've been hoping that the Canadian government would change the laws. Now, with recent developments it would be better if the DID NOTHING! Because if they do nothing, all the laws will go away in 6 months (assuming they exist today, and that's highly debatable) and marijuana becomes legal for everyone.It is great being alive to watch this history being made. It's like another Berlin Wall crumbling before us. I can't wait until I can sit on my back patio and smoke a joint without fear of arrest!-TM
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