cannabisnews.com: Washington Turns Up Heat on Canada Over Marijuana Washington Turns Up Heat on Canada Over Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on May 16, 2003 at 13:52:29 PT By David Ljunggren Source: Reuters Ottawa -- The head of U.S. drug policy launched one of his strongest attacks on Friday on Canada's plans to relax penalties for marijuana possession, and dismissed as "ridiculous" one of Ottawa's main reasons for pushing ahead with the idea.The Canadian government will introduce draft legislation later this month that would replace jail terms and criminal records with fines of perhaps C$100 ($73) for possession of 15 grams (half an ounce) or less of pot. John Walters, director of the White House office of National Drug Control Policy, said he feared this would hamper U.S. efforts to cut the amount of powerful Canadian-grown marijuana from being smuggled across the border."The problem now is that the high-potency marijuana business is growing uncontrollably in Canada... You're sending us the crack equivalent of marijuana and that's bad for both countries," he told CBC television."What we've been trying to do with Canadian officials (is learn) 'What's the plan to make this smaller as a harm to the United States?' And there isn't one now, that's the problem," he said.Canadian Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, who will introduce the legislation at the end of May, criticizes existing marijuana laws for being largely ineffective and enforced unevenly.Supporters of the legislation say it would allow police to focus on catching organized crime gangs dealing in drugs rather than arresting and charging small-time pot users.But Walters strongly questioned this argument, saying there was no evidence Canadian law enforcement officials were cracking down on marijuana users."It's completely ridiculous to suggest that Canada is locking up users in significant numbers. That's not happening. In fact, to claim they're even being arrested in large numbers is a distortion. That's what Canadian law enforcement tells me," he said.Walters complained that penalties for drug users were not harsh enough in Canada and suggested -- as he has done in the past -- that border security might have to be tightened if the law were passed. This could have a crushing effect on Canadian exporters, which are heavily reliant on the U.S. market.Canadian Solicitor-General Wayne Easter, in overall charge of law enforcement, said Walters should wait to see the details of the legislation."When the entire strategy comes out, as will happen in the last two or three days of the month, I think Mr. Walters as well as others in the United States will see that we are in fact making fairly major moves forward," he told reporters."Our objective is to make those borders secure and to do what we have to do to eliminate the movement of high quality (marijuana)... anyone caught smuggling the product across the border will face very severe penalties."Cauchon says an estimated 100,000 of Canada's 30 million people are using pot daily and the numbers are increasing. He has said that marijuana would remain illegal, even if no longer criminal, and that penalties would be toughened substantially for marijuana-growing operations.Several U.S. states, including New York, California, Oregon and Ohio, have already relaxed laws on simple possession and issue fines to those found with small amounts of marijuana.Complete Title: Washington Turns Up Heat on Canada Over Marijuana Plans Source: Reuters Author: David LjunggrenPublished: May 16, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Reuters News ServiceWebsite: http://www.reuters.comContact: http://about.reuters.com/custhelp/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmWhy Washington's Worried About Ushttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16314.shtmlBad Buzz?: U.S. Keeping Close Eye on Canada http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16313.shtmlWhat Are You Smoking, Canada?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16311.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by moonhead on May 18, 2003 at 09:40:01 PT munk Yanks are only getting messed up from smoking skunk cos theyve been smoking commercial weed for too long, once they get used to it it wont be a problem. plus skunks less bad for your health cos you smoke it fresh, and cos its stronger so you dont have to smoke like quarter just to get a buzz. its like they dont trust they're own citizens to make informed decisions for themselves [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by BGreen on May 16, 2003 at 23:48:56 PT Expose the lies! At a little past the two minute mark in this video on Pot-TV, john walters says "people have to understand, what amerikans don't understand, marijuana in the 80's had ONE PERCENT THC, the psychoactive ingredient, some of that coming from Canada today has THIRTY PERCENT."Just a few months ago walters said the marijuana they smoked at Woodstock only had 1% THC, but now he's moved that bogus theory up to what could be theoretically perceived as 1989. I smoked in the 70's and I smoked the best cannabis the Dutch have to offer directly from some Dutch growers just last year and can state without hesitation that I WAS NOT SMOKING HEMP IN THE 70's NOR THE 80's.This seems to be one of the most easily refuted of all the lies, yet the media doesn't blink.The Rev. Bud GreenP.S. FoM, the title printed below is from the Pot-TV website, not my own use of expletives. That Liar John Walters is Back With More Bullshit [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Sam Adams on May 16, 2003 at 21:23:41 PT My question for Cannada: How much angrier do you think Walters would be if you were LEGALIZING? The best thing to do with a bully is confront him. What else is he going to do? Huff and puff and blow a little more hot air. You might as well go for the whole enchilada.By the way - isn't it embarrassing to have this guy representing us? I hope they realize we have no control over this guy....... [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by freedom fighter on May 16, 2003 at 18:56:45 PT OOOOhhh, someone pls quick put Johnny the bully in a small room. Just a two mintues of my time. ahh...Bahh, I ai'nt gonna be scared of this punk. Americans are the largest consumers of all illict or legal drugs. The day johnny the punk stepped into that office, he knew that he had lost the game. If Canada recriminalize the weed, I only can see sea of green on both side of borders. On second thought, the sea of green is everywhere. Go south, thar goes the mota, go north, yippie yep, I gotta get the kind buds! Go east, tasty kentucky flowers down there(as well as many many other states), and finally, go west....The endless froniter of sea of the green made johnny the bully so envious with hatred and I do'nt even know why!I actually felt pity for this scum. Johnny, you have been lying to everyone including yourself. In the sea of the green, a music of laughters filling the mother earth.. as it was in past and it will be forever.Sorry, johnny!pazff [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by MikeEEEEE on May 16, 2003 at 18:50:56 PT NO RESPECT This is why Canada should never have spoken to the US. This is an ugly response to our long time friends, and this is why the US is becoming ever more isolated. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by billos on May 16, 2003 at 15:56:42 PT: Walters That is it. I am now convinced that Walters really IS a babbling idiot. And, waaaayy too powerful. Pretty friggin' scary. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by observer on May 16, 2003 at 15:44:02 PT Can't Have It Both Ways Walters: "It's completely ridiculous to suggest that Canada is locking up users in significant numbers. That's not happening. In fact, to claim they're even being arrested in large numbers is a distortion. That's what Canadian law enforcement tells me"The prohibitionist slime can't have it both ways. If users are not arrested for pot, then what's the big deal about simply making the laws reflect this? If they are being arrested, then Walters is a again shown to be a liar. Walters' "significant numbers" weaseling is pure doubletalk. Par for the course.Walters and the rest of the prohibitionist pack is crying "Wolf!" again. Tell them to bark off. Breaking Canadian pot & drug news http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/canada [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on May 16, 2003 at 14:54:11 PT John Walters is a liar "The crack equivalent of marijuana" inDEED. He's so lucky that this is Reuters, or I'd be firing off a quick LTE. Idiot. We sell the crack equivalent of beer in many states - it's called Everclear. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Virgil on May 16, 2003 at 14:30:33 PT U R right about that FoM The problem is it is the center pole of the big tent of the police state and those that would shred the Constitution. It was pretty humorous to see that the next wave of demonization will conjure up images of cocaine and advertise that cannabis can be made more potent with care. The association is of course absurd but this demonization will only increase the demand for decent herb instead of the lung-clogging stuff that Mexico had their peasants grow for American consumption.Canadians will read Walters' quotes and think America is being run by nuts, criminal at that. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by WolfgangWylde on May 16, 2003 at 14:24:44 PT Excellent... ...analysis by Richard Cowan What Washington Really Fears Is Freedom. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 16, 2003 at 14:02:14 PT Ridiculous Yes this is ridiculous that this much attention is being paid to an herb. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment