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Ottawa appeals pot possession ruling
By Hempology | January 6, 2003
From CBC News Online, January 3, 2003
OTTAWA – The federal government is appealing an
Ontario court’s ruling that says it’s not a crime to possess
small amounts of marijuana in the province.
On Thursday, Windsor Justice Douglas Phillips dismissed
criminal charges against a teenager accused of having
about five grams of pot.
The judge accepted defence arguments that the law
against possessing small amounts of the drug is invalid
because Parliament has failed to draft clear, consistent
legislation about cannabis.
Under its Marijuana Medical Access Regulations, Ottawa
permits some people to smoke pot for medical reasons.
But critics say rules about acquiring the drug, as well as
recreational use of it, are still unclear.
The federal Justice Department hopes the appeal will be
heard in Ontario Superior Court within the next month. In
the meantime, it expects police forces to continue laying
charges against people who break the Controlled Drugs
and Substances Act.
Prosecutions of cases involving possession of less than
30 grams of marijuana may be delayed in Ontario until
Ottawa’s appeal is heard.
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