cannabisnews.com: Canada's US Friendship Hits a Reefer





Canada's US Friendship Hits a Reefer
Posted by CN Staff on May 05, 2003 at 12:37:53 PT
By Robert Lusetich, Los Angeles Correspondent
Source: Herald Sun 
The long-standing alliance between the US and Canada, strained at best in recent months, is officially going to pot.Canada, which was a vocal opponent of the US war against Iraq – resulting in President George W. Bush cancelling today's scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Jean Chretien because it clashed with the weekend visit by John Howard to his Texas ranch – is now infuriating the US with plans to decriminalise marijuana.
"You expect your friends to stop the movement of poison to your neighbourhood," said the Bush administration's drugs czar, John Walters, who fears drugs will seep through the border shared by the two countries.It is just the latest example of Canadians not doing anything right in US eyes, from Mike Weir (a left-hander to boot) winning America's most prestigious golf tournament, the Masters, to the suspicion by some Americans that Canadians are spreading SARS south of the border.And it all has the Canucks – whose gross domestic product relies heavily on trade with their southern neighbour – worried.The man who is favoured to replace the maverick Mr Chretien next year, Paul Martin, has called for a cabinet-level committee to try to repair relations with the US."Our bilateral relations must be conducted on a far more sophisticated basis than (they have) been to date," he said.Another leading Canadian politician, the Canadian Alliance party's Jason Kenney, accused Mr Chretien of "mismanaging our most important bilateral relationship"."Relations between Canada and the US are at their lowest level in years and there is no doubt the White House is sending a signal (in failing to reschedule Mr Chretien's meeting with Mr Bush)."Although there were existing tensions on trade issues, the bad blood between the long-standing allies boiled over in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq. A Canadian cabinet minister said Mr Bush was "not a statesman", senior Chretien aide Francois Ducros called the US President "a moron" and Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish referred to the "damned Americans"."I hate those bastards," she said. "Those remarks did not go by unnoticed," said Thomas D'aquino, president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, whose organisation worried about the economic impact of upsetting the US.The US ambassador to Canada, Paul Cellucci, warned of the strain on relations and said there was "disappointment . . . and concern" in Washington about Ottawa's positions.But in truth, insiders say, Mr Bush has long loathed Mr Chretien, a liberal – and great friend of Bill Clinton's – who publicly supported Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election."Chretien crossed diplomatic lines in showing support for Gore," said Chris Sands, an expert on US-Canada relations at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington."Before September 11, Bush found Chretien a pain in the neck, but they were both professional enough to keep it under control. Since 9/11, it has got steadily worse."Canadian firms have also noted that their telephones aren't ringing off the hook as contracts go out to rebuild Iraq.The SARS scare in Toronto – where 23 people so far have died of the respiratory disease – hasn't helped either.Cruise ships in the US stopped accepting Torontonians and tour buses from Canada's biggest city were being turned away by casinos at Niagara Falls."If you visit Canada," Niagara Falls, New York, mayor Irene Elia told her residents, "you should wash your hands frequently." Source: Herald Sun (Australia)Author: Robert Lusetich, Los Angeles CorrespondentPublished: May 06, 2003Copyright: 2003 News LimitedContact: hseditor hwt.newsltd.com.auWebsite: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmPot Plan Puts U.S. Noses Out of Jointhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16162.shtmlWar On Drugs Now Threatens America's Neighbors http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16157.shtmlCanada's Drug Policy Draws U.S. Warning http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16150.shtml
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Comment #11 posted by greenfox on May 06, 2003 at 07:41:41 PT
hahaha HAHAHA ha... ha.
"The long-standing alliance between the US and Canada, strained at best in recent months, is officially going to pot."GOING TO POT, eh? There's some real origional journalism there...
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Comment #10 posted by Kegan on May 06, 2003 at 07:11:40 PT
I sent this
In your article by Robert Lusetich regarding Canada/US relations, two particular statements caught my eye.John P. Walters said "You expect your friends to stop the movement of poison to your neighborhood,"This man is so blinded by ideology, he cannot even see the facts. The fact is, THC (the “poison” he refers to) is not poison. It is medicine. We all know it.Notice also, that Walters fails to mention the air pollution the US have been sending north for decades.Later in the article, Paul Martin was quoted as saying "Our bilateral relations must be conducted on a far more sophisticated basis than (they have) been to date.”Clearly, the only lack of sophistication is on the US side. Canada is finally getting in line with the rest of the world, or the more sophisticated parts of the world at least, where this insane and costly drug war is viewed as a colossal failure.And since Canada has made a slight glance in the direction of possible tolerance, the US government, in their rampant xenophobia, have started trying to bully, threaten, taunt, bribe, swindle, and scare us. Business as usual.I wonder when George W. Bush will decide that cannabis is a "weapon of mass destruction", and invade us too. If Canada should deal with the US in a more sophisticated manner, then perhaps it is time for the US to become as sophisticated as Canada.Russell Barth, Ottawa
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on May 05, 2003 at 20:54:34 PT
Just a Note
For those who don't know about this link I'll post it again. These are all the articles that I post. It's hard to figure out what to post on the front page and what to archive but here they are.http://www.cannabisnews.com/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/cnews/newsread.pl?25000
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Comment #8 posted by Lehder on May 05, 2003 at 18:41:04 PT
say it again 
"Cannabis prohibition is mass murder. It uses mass arrest with a massive prison system. The
   prohibition of cannabis requires massive resources to inflict massive misery and is widely
   acclaimed as a massive failure."Beautifully said. Now who is brave enough to say it on television?Oh, the first time it's said on television the tempest of imprecation roiling in prohibitionists' tiny peecups will be our riant day.But you know Americans. Now who has the money to hear it said one hundred times on television and End The War?
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Comment #7 posted by Virgil on May 05, 2003 at 18:14:11 PT
listen to the masses
Cannabis prohibition is mass murder. It uses mass arrest with a massive prison system. The prohibition of cannabis requires massive resources to inflict massive misery and is widely acclaimed as a massive failure.I think some people are starting to like the prohibitionists' lies. Not me. I despise the liars and their lies. They are not even slick about it. 
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Comment #6 posted by Robbie on May 05, 2003 at 17:20:07 PT
I wish they'd quit with the horrid puns
It's really not funny anymore.Sounds like,"American and German Pharm Outright Loco Over Mexican Xanax"or"Viagara gets a rise in sales"
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Comment #5 posted by boballen1313 on May 05, 2003 at 15:59:26 PT
Canada may find trade with europe less stressful
Canadas trade with asia and europe could cause for more usa trade wars... but who cares... you dont like the gear, go find it from someone else... usa aint the only customer in the world. FREE TRADE requires free trade!
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Comment #4 posted by afterburner on May 05, 2003 at 14:55:23 PT:
Free Markets and Organization of American States.
Regulated or prohibited these are the opportunities affording us. With all the focus of the legal position of cannabis in Canda, it's time to bring the medical and spiritual benefits of this ancient herb into the American marketplace as it was in the beginning.ego transcendence follows ego destruction, and suddenly there is no problem.
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Comment #3 posted by phil_debowl on May 05, 2003 at 14:05:27 PT
Some news
Reefer madness: Why more jocks turn to marijuana
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/5789016.htmMarch promotes marijuana usage
http://www.kansan.com/stories.asp?id=200305050034
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Comment #2 posted by afterburner on May 05, 2003 at 13:26:37 PT:
Two Cultures.
poisonThe Canadian government has not endorsed, nor planned to endorse, the export of cannabis to the USA!"disappointment . . . and concern" in Washington about Ottawa's positions.
Yes, and Ottawa has disappointment and concern about Washington's positions."If you visit Canada," Niagara Falls, New York, mayor Irene Elia told her residents, "you should wash your hands frequently." 
If you visit the USA, duck frequently.The public in both Canada and the USA is way ahead of the politicians. "Police and thieves in the street. Oh, yeah! Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition." -Junior Murvin http://www.reggae-vibes.com/concert/juniorm/juniormu.htm"ego transcendence follows ego transcendence, and suddenly there is no question.
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Comment #1 posted by Dark Star on May 05, 2003 at 13:01:47 PT
What If?
The worst possible result would be that Canada would listen to all this propaganda and allow that to influence her decisions.The best thing that could happen is that the Canadian Supreme Court ends the idiocy about cannabis. Then there is nothing that the US or even the UN (via the Single Convention Treaty) could do. Look it up: the rules of the Single Convention are invalid if they are contrary to the constitution of a given nation. Properly interpreted, our Constitution should be similarly interpreted.I can just see it now: the Court rules, and Bush, Ashcroft and Walters ask them to change their Constitution so that we can continue to practice governmental cognitive control. Canada should not care what hypocrites and idiots think, no matter how big their guns are, or how much money they have---if they want a real life, a life of freedom.
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