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  Nations' Drug Policies on Collision Course
Posted by FoM on March 24, 2002 at 23:25:46 PT
By Jeremy Hay, The Press Democrat 
Source: Press Democrat 

medical Canada's marijuana policies may put it on a collision course with the United States. The two countries share the world's longest unprotected border and annual trade tops $400 million, but they have clashed before over such issues as Cuba, eliminating land mines and the death penalty. Add marijuana to the list.

"It will be a sticking point between the two countries," said Eric Sterling, president of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, in Maryland.

Although marijuana is illegal in both countries, enforcement is a lower priority in Canada and the criminal penalties are less severe.

Canada has also instituted a nationwide medical marijuana program, precluding the kind of conflict now flaring between the U.S. government and states that have adopted their own medical marijuana laws.

At the same time, President Bush has stepped up the U.S. war on drugs.

As a result, more Americans -- medical pot users, activists, some who face criminal charges, others who don't -- are heading to Canada.

Sterling and other experts say the migration will increase conflicts between the two countries, especially if people facing U.S. charges successfully resist attempts to extradite them from Canada.

The U.S. Justice Department won't comment on ongoing extradition cases. It refused to say if it plans to pursue extradition of Ken Hayes, a former Petaluma resident who faces federal charges in San Francisco.

Hayes' attorney said U.S. officials haven't asked Canada to return Hayes, nor has Canada moved to deport him.

Sterling, a former counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, thinks the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will lobby hard for extradition.

"They know how dangerous it would be, if they seem to be allowing people to flee to Canada on a marijuana case," he said. "I think you could make a very safe bet that the United States will seek extradition of these people."

The United States has been trying to have Renee Bojé extradited since 1999. Two years ago, a Canadian judge ordered her returned to the United States.

Bojé appealed the decision, and filed for political refugee status in Canada under guidelines of the United Nations Convention on Refugees.

She is waiting for a ruling by the Canadian minister of justice on her appeal and for a special refugee board to schedule a hearing on her application.

"Once someone puts that claim in for refugee status, everything else is put on hold, including the extradition," said Gary Botting, a visiting scholar at the University of Washington law school who specializes in extradition.

Some suggest Canada will walk a tightrope, trying to avoid angering its neighbor to the south or returning Americans to face criminal charges in U.S. courts.

"I think this Liberal government would be embarrassed" to return people like Hayes and Bojé, said Inky Mark, a member of the opposition in the Canadian Parliament.

"That's probably true, and was probably the same case during the Vietnam War," said Melvin Small, who teaches Canadian-American relations at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Rather than rule on fleeing Americans' requests outright, Mark said Canada may "just let them float" in the application process.

"My opinion is that they're probably pretty safe," said Mark, his party's spokesman on immigration affairs.

In response, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Denis Coderre said: "We won't start judging why you want to extradite a person, that's up to the courts. The government will not decide that."

Note: Canada's lax marijuana enforcement puts it at odds with U.S. government.

Source: Press Democrat, The (CA)
Author: Jeremy Hay, The Press Democrat
Published: March 24, 2002
Copyright: 2002 The Press Democrat
Contact: letters@pressdemo.com
Website: http://www.pressdemo.com/

Related Articles & Web Sites:

Renee Boje's Home Page
http://www.reneeboje.com/

Criminal Justice Policy Foundation
http://www.cjpf.org/

DEA Raids Medical Marijuana Club
http://freedomtoexhale.com/raid.htm

Asylum in Canada Could Be Sought in Pot Case
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12074.shtml

Federal War Against The Sick
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12015.shtml

Weed Wedding - Cannabis Culture Magazine
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11488.shtml


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Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 28, 2002 at 11:37:29 PT
Time To Talk about Decriminalizing Pot: Owen

Source: The Province
Author: Damian Inwood
Published: March 28, 2002

Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen would like to see a federal commission tour Canada to smoke out public opinion on the decriminalization of marijuana.

"I think the Canadian public is ready for a dialogue on this," said Owen, who's been spearheading the city's push for safe injection sites for intravenous drug users.

"Are Canadians interested in separating hard and soft drugs and, if so, do they want to have a separate discussion about marijuana and [take the] first step to decriminalize it?"

Owen denied a report in the Vancouver Courier that said he wanted marijuana decriminalized.

"That's not what I said," he said. "I'm not expert enough to say we should decriminalize or we should legalize, but I think the public wants to talk about it."

"In Europe, several countries have decriminalized marijuana," Owen said. "Switzerland has even legalized it. In the U.S., which has its war on drugs going thick and heavy, eight states have decriminalized marijuana -- big states like California, Ohio and New York."

He said he believes Ottawa is ready for the discussion because it has already approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Complete Article: http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=94A56BAC-02DF-45A4-A0BE-C123470207B9

Grow-ops Go East, as Drug Cases Come West

Source: The Province
Author: Mark Wilson
Published: Thursday, March 28, 2002

A Vancouver police crackdown on marijuana home-grow operations is forcing indoor cultivators to move to Ontario.

But Vancouver is bracing for an influx of drug addicts and traffickers from Burnaby.

The Vancouver police board heard yesterday that a campaign against home-grows is causing operators to flee east.

Chris Taulu, co-ordinator of the Collingwood Policing Centre, said she is getting calls from Ontario that suggest some Vancouver growers have decamped to Ottawa, Kitchener and other points east.

Balancing any outflow of bad persons is an expected inflow of drug users and traffickers when drug cases are transferred form Burnaby to Vancouver's already-overcrowded provincial court.

Inspector Ken Frail said: "We are very concerned about the impact on the Downtown Eastside, where we are trying hard to curb drug activity."

The expected transfer of drug cases from Burnaby is a consequence of the B.C. government's policy of closing courts it considers surplus.

Frail said one result could be that Vancouver police will spend more time in court waiting for cases to be heard, because delays will lengthen. This will rob the force of officers on the street.

District commander Insp. Al Niedtner said: "We need assistance if Burnaby drug courts move to Vancouver. It will be a massive problem and our resources only go so far."

Complete Article: http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=250F8D27-0469-4C54-B225-032B2ADDA697

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