Request For Emergency Debate  Last year, my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot was threatened because he reported the cultivation of marijuana on farms in his region. Last week a journalist was attacked because he wrote about organized crime. Sometimes—according to a federal report—judges are threatened. This points to the extreme importance of the matter.

Medical Use Of Marijuana  Speaker, I am very pleased that other governments followed Canada's example. As has already been announced, we intend to carry out research on the results of marijuana use for medical purposes. We shall be doing so shortly.

Supply  Speaker, has the government looked at the reasons we have such a problem these days with our young people? I get really worried when I hear there is to be a debate on whether we might legalize marijuana if only for health care use. Once we do that we also send a message to young people that marijuana is all right for them to use as well. We have to look at the drug situation which is terrible.

Health  Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Health told the House that he had asked his officials to develop a plan with a view to legalizing the medical use of marijuana. My question is for the Prime Minister. Does the government intend, in the meantime, to support my parliamentary motion and take immediate action to have the police stop harassing gravely ill individuals using marijuana to alleviate their suffering?

Health  Speaker, the health minister just made an announcement that he will allow the compassionate use of smoked marijuana for those who are ill. Is this the first step in the Liberal government's decriminalizing marijuana for other purposes?

Health  This government is aware there are Canadians suffering, who have terminal illnesses, who believe that using medical marijuana can help ease their symptoms. We want to help. As a result, I have asked my officials to develop a plan that will include clinical trials for medical marijuana, appropriate guidelines for its medical use and access to a safe supply of this drug.

Legalization Of Marijuana For Medical Purposes  Speaker, morphine is derived from heroin, a hard drug which was legalized for therapeutic uses and is very beneficial to the sick. Marijuana, on the other hand, is a soft drug whose use for medical purposes is outlawed, despite the fact that many physicians consider it could be used to alleviate pain. My question to the Minister of Health is the following: In light of these facts, could the minister tell us when he plans to set the process in motion to ultimately legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes?

Sales Tax And Excise Tax Amendments Act, 1999  For example, in Washington state at the end of last year the people decided to decriminalize the use of marijuana. In Canada that is a hot potato that we do not want to touch. We would rather it just went away. None of us want to say whether we are for or against it, but in Washington state it was taken out of the politicians' hands and the people did it.

Decriminalization Of Marijuana  Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. Polls tell us that a majority of Canadians and Quebeckers now support decriminalizing marijuana for medical purposes. Is the minister prepared to set up a parliamentary committee to conduct an in-depth review of this issue, so that recommendations can be made regarding the decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes?

Proceeds Of Crime (Money Laundering) Act  I would be remiss—and I am pretty sure that all the members would hold it against me—if I overlooked the relentless campaign against organized crime that the member for Bagot is engaged in, despite all the risks involved, particularly in his region where farmers live in fear, terrorized by criminal groups who grow marijuana in their corn fields and other fields. It deserves the support of all members of the House. Those were four specific actions taken by the Bloc, and we claimed victory on three of them.

Proceeds Of Crime (Money Laundering) Act  The riding of Shefford, represented by the Progressive Conservative member from Granby, is dealing with the very serious threat of losing its detachment. Biker gangs are terrorizing farmers and forcing them to grow marijuana in their fields. There is a Bloc member who is currently being threatened by members of biker gangs and organized crime. The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada supports the broad purpose and principles of this bill, that is, to remedy the shortcomings in Canada's anti-money laundering legislation as identified by the G-7 financial action task force on money laundering.

Proceeds Of Crime (Money Laundering) Act  At the same time, we know that biker gangs are terrorizing farmers, forcing them to grow marijuana in their fields, and even threatening members of the House of Commons. This is part of a larger problem. The financial transactions and reports analysis centre is certainly a welcome relief to one aspect of the ongoing struggle that the RCMP faces in trying to protect Canadians, but the RCMP is being stretched to the limit.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police  I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the RCMP and thank it for its excellent partnership with the Sûreté du Québec, in particular in Opération Cisaille to eradicate the cultivation of marijuana by organized crime. All the stakeholders in the region—it is my region also—including farmers, the UPA and members of all political parties recognize how valuable and effective this co-operation is.

Supply  These terrible incidents add to the problems faced by, among others, the Sûreté du Quebec in the fight against the so-called forced plantings of marijuana in farmlands across Quebec. In this regard, the Canadian Police Association stated in a press release on October 8 that the awful reality was that organized crime had reached epidemic proportions and that the police were frustrated by the lack of tools and resources to fight it.

Supply  And like my colleagues from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot and Drummond, Shefford is part of the triangle of fertile agricultural land ideally suited for growing marijuana. I have listened very carefully to today's speeches, especially those on the rumours regarding the closure of the RCMP detachments, because the one in Granby is included in the detachments that are to be closed, according to these rumours.