Canadian Conservatives Seek Return of Mandatory Minimum Sentences

The Conservative Canadian government plans to restore mandatory minimum prison sentences for small-time pot growers, the Canadian Press reported May 3.

A Conservative bill introduced in Parliament last year featured mandatory six-month prison terms for offenders growing as few as five marijuana plants. However, the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee raised this number to 200.

Now, with a Conservative majority in the Senate, a new, tougher bill is expected to be introduced and passed.

Though the specific provisions of the bill have yet to be revealed, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson confirmed the plan to return to some kind of mandatory-minimum sentencing for low-level offenders. Also on the chopping block is an end to a two-for-one credit for time served in pre-custody, a shift that Public Safety Minister Vic Toews confirmed could cost Canada $2 billion or more over five years.