cannabisnews.com: U.S. Frets Canada May Ease Marijuana Law





U.S. Frets Canada May Ease Marijuana Law
Posted by CN Staff on December 12, 2002 at 13:11:26 PT
By Tom Cohen, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press
Getting caught with an ounce or less of marijuana in Canada should bring fines, not prison time and a criminal record, a parliamentary committee said Thursday. The committee was the second in Parliament that has called for Canada to ease its marijuana laws -- despite protests from the United States. Canada's Supreme Court is also preparing to hear a constitutional challenge to laws that make it illegal to possess pot, and Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said this week that legislation to decriminalize marijuana could be introduced early in 2003. 
The report by a House of Commons committee on drugs said too many young Canadians get a criminal record for the relatively minor offense of smoking pot. Rather than legalizing marijuana, as recommended by a Senate committee earlier this year, the House panel proposed a fine or other sanction instead of the maximum six-month jail term for possession. The report also differed from the Senate committee by not calling for an amnesty for the estimated 600,000 Canadians with a criminal record for possession of cannabis. It proposes government education and prevention programs for young people, naming a drug commissioner to report on national drug strategy, and more money each year for the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse. American officials oppose the push toward greater leniency. Liberalizing laws will boost drug use and bring more pot into the United States, said John Walters, director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy. Canada is already a major source of marijuana for the United States, with an estimated $2.5 billion worth smuggled in each year, Walters said Thursday. While he didn't think the new laws would "destroy" relations between the historically friendly neighbors, Walters said the United States would be forced to combat the increased flow of drugs. "My theory is it's going to cause unnecessary harm to our citizens and our children on both sides of our borders," he said. The Canadian Supreme Court will hear a constitutional challenge to marijuana laws on Friday. The basic argument is that people should not be imprisoned for something that isn't harmful. Walters said it's a myth that marijuana isn't harmful, saying 60 percent of drug-dependent Americans are hooked on it. "For people who try to tell Americans marijuana is not something we have to pay attention to -- it's a lie," he said. The issue joins a growing list of differences between the North American neighbors that share the world's largest trade partnership, worth more than $1 billion a day. Despite their military ties and common democratic values, Canada has traditionally adopted more liberal social policies, in part to distinguish itself from its neighbor. Examples include diplomatic ties with Cuba, a ban on capital punishment and more lenient immigration policies. Last year, Canada implemented a medical marijuana program that allows some patients to possess and grow pot. Eight U.S. states have taken some kind of step toward permitting the medicinal use of marijuana. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, has ruled there is no exception in federal law for people to use marijuana, so even those with tolerant state laws could face arrest if they do. On the Net: Canadian site advocating marijuana culture:Cannabis Culture: http://www.cannabisculture.com U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration at: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ Source: Associated Press Author: Tom Cohen, Associated Press WriterPublished: December 12, 2002Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Sites:Special Committee Report: Cannabishttp://freedomtoexhale.com/cr.htmCannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmDrug Czar Talks About Tightening at Borderhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14955.shtmlLawyer Doubts Ottawa's Pot Talkhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14954.shtmlChanges To Marijuana Law May Rankle Washington http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14952.shtml 
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Comment #3 posted by Doobinie on December 13, 2002 at 08:01:23 PT
A short rebuttal
I have just one thing to say in response to Walters' :"For people who try to tell Americans marijuana is not something we have to pay attention to -- it's a lie," he said. I want to tell him that he is correct. As Canadians, we cannot tell Americans that marijuana is not something that they have to pay attention to. You make your own priorities, and to be fair, I don't think that anyone is telling him to ignore marijuana as a phenomenon. Most critics want him to pay attention to it, but from a different point of view. Anyway, my counter point would be: "For people who try to tell Canadians that marijuana is something that we should fear and worry about -- it's a lie."Maybe Walters should try to afford us the courtesy that he so desparately seeks, and let us deal with things our way. Fortunately, this has been a common theme in Canadian officials' response to pressure from the South. I pray that it not be mere posturing, but that they will stick to their guns (I am sure that we must have a couple of guns here that they could stick to 8^).Love and Peace,Doobinie in Soviet CanuckistanPS. I hope that no one is offended by my adding 'in Soviet Canuckistan' to my signature. I do so because I find it to be such a funny statement. Not completely devoid of truth, by some stretches, but really funny. If it does offend anyone, please speak up, and I will stop. Have a great weekend, my Cannabist friends. 
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Comment #2 posted by p4me on December 12, 2002 at 15:30:27 PT
Where is the coverage by the American librul press
I put most of this comment under the wrong article but now I want to add some media criticism. Al Gore's voice with his ficticious head will appear on this Sunday's show of Fox's Futurama. The AP quote is, "In Sunday's episode, Gore's head is introduced at a global-warming convention as "the inventor of the environment and first emperor of the moon."I just wanted to comment that Al Gore may have well lost the election because the RNC spinmaster's stuck him with a line that said he invented the Internet. He never sqaid such a thing. In 1999 in defining his qualifications for President he was speaking of the instumental role he played in the Senate of bringing about "The Information Superhighway", the term he introduced to the Americn people in 1988. these are the 16 words that Gore said that the RNC turned into "I invented the Internet"- " During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."  http://www.thedubyachronicles.com/disconnect/index.htmOriginal post follows.I really was not going to comment on Common’s report again. But this is the 2 year anniversary of Busch being appointed President and I thought it should be noted. It is a sad situation when the government propagandizes a link between terrorism and illegal drug use and then ignores the fact that the United States oil companies buy 90% of Iraq’s oil. I submit my paragraph of the day.
From the first moments of the Bush administration until well into this year, US oil companies have been Saddam’s biggest customers. US corporations bought 90% of Iraqi oil exports last year. They were still buying -- through middlemen of various nationalities -- well into summer of 2002. - http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/2002/12/11_Oil.htmlHow far we have gone (backwards) when telling a joke about the Dummy in Residence can get you 37 months in jail: http://www.thespeciousreport.com/2002_burningbush.html Since it is the second anniversary of the supreme court appointment of Busch I wanted to comment one more time on the absurdity of the Largest Minority Rule that lets candidates win office without a majority of the votes. This is absolutely stifling to the political process that could form new parties and allow for mending of the corporate takeover of America. This situation first came to my attention in the governor’s race in New York which Pataki won with 51% of the vote. The Largest Minority Rule is best illustrated in Minnesota where Perot[s remnant Independence party and the Libertarian Party gave the Repugs these four highly critical offices without a majority of the voters.The Minnesota elections http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/ElecRslts.asp?M=S&Races=0103 -Senatehttp://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/ElecRslts.asp?M=S&Races=0331 -Governorhttp://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/ElecRslts.asp?M=S&Races=0332 - Secretary of Statehttp://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/ElecRslts.asp?M=S&Races=0333 - AuditorI do have one more thought on the Common’s Report and it has to do with what Dr. Russo said but with a certain detail. First where is the analysis to highlight the merits/differences of the Senate and Common Reports? There should be an analysis and it seems like the New York Times should do just that or even the Washington Post for that matter. The fact that there is no analysis much less any decent coverage of cannabis reform in Canada period is just evidence of the corporate takeover of the media. It really is sad.Did you $4.20 today? 1
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on December 12, 2002 at 13:23:38 PT:
AP Has Done its Job
Now, let's see how many local dailies in the USA bother to cover the story. I predict that very few will. Canada is merely that place across from Niagara Falls according to most Americans, and what happens there has little import to them. The fact that US officials are so hysterical about the issue is very encouraging, however.The real news will occur when there is some legislative initiative, or even better, unilateral judicial action.
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