Canada Going to Pot?

Oct. 30 -- In an abandoned copper mine near Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada, sits a heavily guarded marijuana farm. There's enough pot for a million joints, and it's all owned by the Canadian government.

In the past year, the drug has been used in clinical trials for AIDS, and neuropathy, and Canadian health officials are encouraging doctors to begin other clinical trials using marijuana.

In addition, more than 200 Canadians have authorization to grow, and smoke, their own pot for medicinal purposes. The permits are granted for conditions such as cancer, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and severe arthritis.

Nothing, however, illustrates Canada's liberal approach to marijuana more than what it's considering next: Decriminalizing pot for everyone else in the country.

Under the plan put forward in a key government policy and economic speech, any Canadian caught with a small amount of pot would face nothing more than the equivalent of a traffic ticket. Violators would have to pay a fine but would no longer face a criminal record.

Majority of Canadians Agree

Allan Rock, Canada's former health minister and now minister of industry says: "Why clog the criminal courts with kids 14 or 15 who might have been experimenting with a single stick of marijuana and who could face a lifelong disadvantage with a criminal record? Isn't there a better way?"

Seventy percent of Canadians, according to the polls, think there should be.

Among those pushing for change is Canada's justice minister, Martin Cauchon. When recently asked if he had smoked a joint, Cauchon didn't hesitate. "Me? Yes, of course," he said.

If Canada follows through on its plan, it would join a growing list of countries, including Britain, Portugal, Italy and Spain, that have recently relaxed their marijuana laws.

U.S.: Canada Is Making a Mistake

But American officials say Canada would be making a big mistake because the Bush administration opposes making marijuana easier to get, and it is expected that what happens in neighboring Canada will have an impact in the United States.