Who we are / Becoming a Member / News / Links / Location / Contact us / Home / Hemp Info

Pot to be decriminalized, but police get new powers
Author: CanWest News Service, Edmonton Journal (CN AB), 10-14-04

OTTAWA - The federal government will reintroduce controversial legislation to decriminalize marijuana and will accompany it with a bill giving police the power to force drivers to take a test, when warranted, to prove whether they are driving while stoned.

Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said in an interview he plans to introduce both pieces of legislation sometime in the next month.

The legislation will mirror a bill first introduced by his predecessor Martin Cauchon, he said. "It might get changed in committee but we are basically reintroducing that legislation."

Legislation to decriminalize marijuana is just one of several changes Cotler says he plans to make in a bid to overhaul Canada's criminal justice system. While many of Cotler's initiatives have not been spelled out, he said his plans are reflected in the principles outlined in the speech such as a commitment to human rights and defending the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.