The Canadian federal government reintroduced a marijuana decriminalization bill on Thursday. The text of the bill is here.
The bill provides for fines if the amount of marijuana is 15 grams or less (and smaller fine for 1 gram or less). Possession of up to 3 plants would also be handled through fines. Anything more than 3 plants or 15 grams would be subject to criminal/prison penalties.
There are also a number of additional factors that can increase fines (being near a school, driving a motor vehicle, etc.)
The bill also protects the information about these fines. It makes it a prosecutable offense to give information about fines to a foreign government. (In other words, if you get fined for possession of under 15 grams, it would actually be against the law for officials to tell the United States government that you had a marijuana offense.)
The bill has a ways to go, and there is expectation that the House of Commons may wish to reduce the amount from 15 grams to 10 grams.
Update: Got some info on the actual fines involved. $500 for up to three plants, and from $100-$400 for possession of up to 15 grams of pot.
Great Harry's Ghost! on Do Cheech and Chong roll his joints?: “aye! Or rolling down the windows and opening the wind wings… (auld phart reference)” May 27, 16:48
