cannabisnews.com: Pot Spat 





Pot Spat 
Posted by CN Staff on May 29, 2003 at 23:40:31 PT
Editorial
Source: Detroit Free Press 
The Bush administration should stop threatening the Canadian government about its plan to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. The Canadians have introduced legislation that would essentially treat most pot smokers like people with misdemeanor traffic tickets. At the same time, the bill would increase penalties for illegal growers and traffickers, and launch a national education campaign on the dangers of drug use. 
The Bush administration has criticized the plan and hinted it could make getting Canadian goods into the United States more difficult. This heavy-handed approach has bugged many Canadians. First they were too soft on Saddam Hussein. Now they're too soft on bud. U.S. officials worry that relaxed Canadian drug laws would lead to more smuggling and more people crossing the border to smoke marijuana. Maybe, maybe not. It's plenty easy to buy and smoke pot here, even though the drug is illegal. As for increased smuggling, Canadian officials argue that police will now have more resources to go after large growers to reduce trafficking. They could easily complain about the drugs flowing their way from the United States. If U.S. officials feel they have to step up enforcement at the border, which has already tightened since 9/11, so be it. But Canada is a sovereign nation and should be treated as such. Imagine the reaction if another country tried to influence U.S. drug policies. Canada has been a good neighbor and a vital, billion-dollar-a-day trading partner, as people in Michigan well know. There's no reason to jeopardize that relationship over a policy that only Canada can set for itself. Note: U.S. should butt out of Canada's marijuana laws. Source: Detroit Free Press (MI)Published: May 30, 2003Copyright: 2003 Detroit Free PressContact: letters freepress.comWebsite: http://www.freep.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmCanada Bill Eases Penalty for Having, Growing Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16419.shtmlWindsor Leads Way On Legal Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16353.shtmlCanada Moves To Decriminalize Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16418.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by RevHappy on May 30, 2003 at 03:21:39 PT:
Remember 197
Michigan has a bill stuck in Judiciary on defering all pot cases to treatment instead of jail. Word out to Detroit to write in and get it out of there and on its way.Didn't then Govenor Bush promise to supports states rights to marijuana? Now were talking whole OTHER COUNTRIES rights to decide...Michigan Marijuana News:
http://www.geocities.com/legalizemichigan/promotion/AMMMO.htm
Michigan HR 197
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