cannabisnews.com: Pot Panel Invites American Drug Czar





Pot Panel Invites American Drug Czar
Posted by CN Staff on October 31, 2003 at 07:36:40 PT
By Kim Lunman
Source: Globe and Mail 
Ottawa -- A parliamentary committee examining Canada's proposed law to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana is inviting one of the bill's chief critics -- U.S. drug czar John Walters -- to testify at its hearings. The special, all-party committee has decided to invite Mr. Walters and several other U.S. witnesses, committee chair Paddy Torsney said yesterday.
The invitation comes after some debate among committee members over whether Americans should be called to testify at the hearings, which resume Monday."We are open to listening to anybody give good advice to us," Ms. Torsney said. Canadian Alliance MP Randy White, the vice-chair of the committee, welcomed the addition of Mr. Walters yesterday along with other U.S. officials from the Drug Enforcement Agency and border authorities."This is an international issue," Mr. White said. "It's not just a Canadian issue. It's not about Americans making our policy. It's about the implications of the legislation."Mr. Walters, who is director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, has been an outspoken critic of the federal government's marijuana-reform bill. He has said any moves to liberalize marijuana laws in Canada could result in longer waits and tougher scrutiny for travellers at the border. He also criticized Prime Minister Jean Chrétien for jokingly suggesting that he might try marijuana when he retires.Not all committee members want to hear from Mr. Walters."I personally don't think we need to hear from him," New Democrat MP Libby Davies said. "I think it's just a political line that we've all heard before about the U.S. war on drugs."It is uncertain whether Mr. Walters will take the committee up on its offer. His office did not return phone calls yesterday.Justice Minister Martin Cauchon has said he wants to pass the bill by year's end. But the committee still has to hear from numerous witnesses, including police, lawyers, addictions experts and provincial solicitors- general.The bill, tabled in May, calls for decriminalizing the possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana and allows for fines of $100 for people under 18 caught with that amount, and $150 for adults.Possession of marijuana now carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.The government is also contemplating other changes to toughen the bill, such as adding penalties for repeat offenders and mandatory jail sentences for growers.The bill has been sent to a special parliamentary committee before it comes back for a second reading. Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)Author: Kim LunmanPublished: Friday, October 31, 2003 - Page A9 Copyright: 2003 The Globe and Mail CompanyContact: letters globeandmail.caWebsite: http://www.globeandmail.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmCanada Headed Wrong Way on Illegal Drugshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17520.shtmlNot Leaning on US To Halt Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17110.shtml U.S. Brings Anti-Pot Message To Ottawahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16784.shtml 
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Comment #12 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on November 01, 2003 at 01:01:40 PT
LTE
Sirs,  Like a lot of Americans, I do not feel that John Walters represents anything remotely close to my point of view. If Parliament wishes to get the American perspective on their pending legislation, then they should get both sides; if they invite Walters, they should also invite somebody from a drug-law reform group to speak as well.
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Comment #11 posted by Adam1 on October 31, 2003 at 23:01:55 PT:
 U.S. Views on Canadian Pot shouldn't be an issue
I am an American and John Walters does NOT represent Constitutional RightsSpeaking as an American citizen, I would have to say that Canadian M.P.s Paddy Torsney and Randy White should consider what their own citizens are saying rather than listen to some overzealous fascist drug warrior from another country. John Walters needs to keep his political opinions within his own country. The current US executive administration is spending far too much time bullying Canada and other countries about their policies while completely ignoring its own citizens. Perhaps this is because they are rapidly losing popularity with their own citizens.Politicians are supposed to represent their citizens. Instead they come into office with the belief that they are here to enforce their own beliefs onto the will of those citizens. This is the biggest problem within the US government. If they don't agree with certain freedoms they simply add illegal "amendments" in order to restrict them. The so called Patriot Act is a perfect example of the way our system is trying to systematically suspend the rights of its citizens in this country. Now they, with the help of Mr. White and Ms. Torsney, are strong arming Canada by threatening a military style border control in order to restrict trade and tourism, if they don't get their way.What is the reasoning for all this nonsense? Is the US government truly concerned about the welfare of its citizens? Of course they aren't. If they were they wouldn't create conditions which allow crime to flourish. When there is a demand there will be a supply. If the supply is not regulated and legal it will become a crime and therefore create crime. Our government knows this, but they are too heavily funded by currupt businesses whose profit margins rely on this immoral practice of breeding criminals. Also, once the government stops lying about cannabis, citizens will be more likely to seek treatment when faced with true addictions, as the criminal stigma will no longer apply. 
 
Look at alcohol and tobacco... Look at all of the other chemicals and drugs, which are legal, in our country; regardless of how many individuals die from exposure to these products. Our politicians love to use the phrase,"we need to protect our children". Yet, Bush has no problem rolling back environmental standards which were already to relaxed in the first place; or cutting our country's school budgets while asking for 87 billion to "help" another country. In a country where we hand-out anti-depressants like they were candy, sign laws allowing an increase in air pollution, where thousnds die each day due to alcohol and tobacco, I find it very suspicious that cannabis production is a class A Felony; even though its consumption has NO measured level of toxicity, and has been used successfully as medicine for numerous dis-eases for hundreds of years. To top it all off, the non mind-altering strains(hemp) cannot even be grown in this country for fiber, fuel, plastics, cosmetics,or food, since it is also considered a class a felony.I sincerely hope canada doesn't adopt or back down to the childish behaviour of Mr. Walters. He does not represent the United States Constitution. Also, the US, currently known as the "world's bully", desparately needs a role model for progressive ideology.             Sincerely, Eric Knudsen St. Louis Park, Mn, U.S.A.
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Comment #10 posted by Had Enough on October 31, 2003 at 20:33:08 PT
Anybody and Anything
“"We are open to listening to anybody give good advice to us," Ms. Torsney said”“"This is an international issue," Mr. White said. "It's not just a Canadian issue. It's not about Americans making our policy. It's about the implications of the legislation."”Shafer Report:http://www.csdp.org/news/news/nixon.htmCato Institute: Handbook for Congress. Recomendations for the 108th Congress: Pages 171-179http://www.cato-institute.org/pubs/handbook/hb108/hb108-17.pdfJimmy Carters address to Congress in 1977:"Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear to me than in the laws against possession of marihuana in private for personal use. . . . Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marihuana." President Jimmy Carter
Speech delivered to Congress
1977That should do it:-)I’ve Had Enough. Go Vote
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 31, 2003 at 18:33:00 PT
Hi There!
I know the news is really slow but it is Halloween and on a Friday too. I tried to watch a scary movie but I got to scared and went back to the Pet Channel. Now this months free concert on Direct TV is David Bowie and it's really good. I want to thank everyone for bringing such a good diversity of news to CNews. That really means a lot to me and others I'm sure. It's nice to be able to read more then just what is happening in our area of the news. Have a fun and safe night tonight!
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Comment #8 posted by mayan on October 31, 2003 at 18:13:53 PT
Never Mind the "Terrorists"
"Mr. Walters, who is director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, has been an outspoken critic of the federal government's marijuana-reform bill. He has said any moves to liberalize marijuana laws in Canada could result in longer waits and tougher scrutiny for travellers at the border."Never mind the terrorists, we must increase border security to prevent the dreaded devil-weed from getting into the "homeland"! It just goes to show that the entire "war on terror" is a complete fraud.The way out is the way in...THE CRIMES OF 9/11 (Part 4):
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/05/af/200310311158.11f7dcb8.htmlThe greatest Hoax in history 9/11: 
http://www.debatethisarticle.com/articles.html?id=719/11 Prior Knowledge/Government Involvement Archive:
http://www.propagandamatrix.com/archiveprior_knowledge
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Comment #7 posted by The GCW on October 31, 2003 at 17:30:58 PT
 two things
1.http://www.hempbc.com/articles/3073.htmlTwo Euro pot mags busted (29 Oct, 2003) Two of Germany's biggest marijuana magazines get hit in separate police raids.On December 19, 2002, the offices of Germany's Hanfblatt magazine were raided by a squad of local police officers.The raid was spurred by Hanfblatt's Mr Big Bud column, which encouraged readers to send in photos of their biggest and best plants, with hopes of winning a prize from the magazine.The local prosecutor's office reasoned that photos of bud plus mailing addresses was evidence of ongoing crime, and so called in police officers to launch the raid.Details on the Hanfblatt situation are sketchy. Staff are reluctant to grant interviews, although their website does contain notice of the raid. It is not known how many reader photos and addresses were seized, nor what further action police intend to take. As of this writing, six months after the raid, there are no reports of any people being busted due to their seized photographs.Meanwhile, Swiss-based magazine Hanf! also suffered raids of a different sort in spring and fall of 2002. Roger Bottlang, publisher and managing director of Hanf!, has been in jail since late last year on charges of pot cultivation. Bottlang was growing cannabis in an industrial warehouse in Switzerland, where growing high-potency cannabis is ostensibly legal as long as it is not grown for "narcotic" purposes.Bottlang claims his crop was to produce cosmetics and material for his magazine, but Swiss cops disagree and have been holding him since the end of 2002. Hanf! magazine has ceased publication since that time and it is unknown if it will ever continue.2."Arnold Schwarzenegger: finally, a candidate who can explain the Bush Administration's positions on civil liberties in the original German. "- Bill Maher, comedian - http://www.hempbc.com/ (the revolving quotes...) 
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Comment #6 posted by MikeEEEEE on October 31, 2003 at 13:35:10 PT
Big Mistake
First, expect lies, nothing new."I personally don't think we need to hear from him," New Democrat MP Libby Davies said. "I think it's just a political line that we've all heard before about the U.S. war on drugs."Perhaps they'll see how insane these prohibitionists are, or they'll discover just how much of a waste of time it was to invite them.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 31, 2003 at 11:52:09 PT
i420 
That's a very good question. Why didn't they invite at least one of them. That would be the right thing to do.
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Comment #4 posted by i420 on October 31, 2003 at 11:46:37 PT
Why just the DEA??
Why don't they invite people who have been affected by Americas war on drugs like those who have been arrested and had their lives torn apart by these absurd laws. Why didn't they invite Drug Policy Alliance, NORML, MPP, LEAP, or the CATO Institute?? 
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Comment #3 posted by Virgil on October 31, 2003 at 08:29:07 PT
Cannabis Culture
It is not just about freeing the weed. It is about opening the pathways so that reason once again prevails. It is about identifying the true paths to news and information and letting the others wither. It is about learning to think again after a stroke and learning to walk anew.The call for continued prohibition is like wearing a Nazi hat. In the UK the parties can change or the people can will bring in the Social Democrats. In this article from Cannabis Culture, the Canadians are told to answer the call for freedom and reason and the public good in the spring elections- http://www.hempbc.com/articles/3132.html
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Comment #2 posted by TroutMask on October 31, 2003 at 08:24:14 PT
Yep...
I'd actually be sort of suprised if Walters took up the offer to speak. At some point, even he must realize that the more he talks the more his position is damaged. Canada has spent the last few years intensely scrutinizing marijuana and marijuana laws. In light of the knowledge Canada has gained during this time, Walters' position is indefensible and all the lies and mis-leading information he provides will be completely transparent to Canadians. If Walters wants to HELP the cause of LEGALIZATION in Canada, the best thing he could do is talk to their politicians and take questions from them in an open forum. Of course, if he talks there will be NO questions from the audience.-TM
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Comment #1 posted by Virgil on October 31, 2003 at 08:00:29 PT
Show Walters on television
Let the Canadian people see the Nazi position that ignores scientific and public condemnation of his Nazi ways. It is a choice Canada, go Nazi or go free. And please do not be so harsh as to not think we do not know this guy to be a moronic follower in desire of carrying his insanity into infinity. This insanity will not get infinity and deserves no tomorrow.Once the Nazis take over they are hard to get rid of as they bribe people with the public treasury and when that is exhausted they use the public debt. I still do not see how the Supreme Court can defend the policy of prohibition but look what the Nazis did on our Supreme Court to give us the worst president ever. It can happen to you and the Nazis want it to happen to you. They got you to sign NAFTA didn't they and now FedEx is suing you for a quarter of a billion dollars for having a federal monopoly on delivery services like our post office with first class mail. You are already under attack and if you do not fight now, you will join the dark side of the force.
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