|
|
| U.S. Drug Czar Finds Ally in Tory Government |
|
Posted by CN Staff on February 23, 2007 at 06:58:01 PT By Gloria Galloway Source: Globe and Mail 
Ottawa -- The man known as the U.S. drug czar offered an unusually friendly message to Canada yesterday, thanking officials on this side of the border for their "renewed focus on illicit drug abuse." John Walters, the director of the National Drug Control Policy, was in Ottawa to speak at a meeting of the Canadian Centre on substance abuse, where he boasted that his policies have reduced drug use among American teens by 23.2 per cent since 2001. "We want work on controlling both supply and demand so we can see not only declines, but sustained declines," he told reporters. Mr. Walters has previously had tough talk for Canada when it comes to this country's anti-drug measures. In 2002, he said British Columbia was a major source of high-potency marijuana being imported into the United States. That same year, he complained that liberalizing drug laws in Canada would increase the flow of marijuana into his country. Reporters asked him yesterday to explain how Canada's co-operation on the drug issue had changed over the past five years, and through the governments of three prime ministers. Liberals Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin had talked about marijuana decriminalization, while the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised to end house arrests and ensure minimum mandatory sentences for serious drug offenders. At first, Mr. Walters dodged the question with platitudes. "We've had continuous outstanding co-operation in terms of the things like border security where we both have an interest. Obviously the RCMP has got to be one of the finest law enforcement organizations in history anywhere," he replied, adding that the United States wants a consensus on the drug problem, not a violation of any other country's sovereignty. When pressed, he conceded, "the source of friction has been obviously less under the current [Conservative] administration." It is time that people acknowledged that marijuana is a dangerous drug that damages the brains of users, Mr. Walters said. He came armed with what he said were the results of studies that show that more young marijuana users are becoming dependent on the substance than alcohol or cigarettes. And he pointed out that the administration of President George W. Bush has requested a doubling of funds -- to $18-million -- to increase random student drug tests. Later in the day, critics of the U.S. drug policy expressed surprise at Mr. Walter's tone. "It was very much of a soft-pedal that seemed to be designed for a Canadian audience. There was a lot of talk about health and helping addicts," said Ethan Nadelmann, the founder of the Drug Policy Alliance in New York, which promotes alternatives to the so-called war on drugs. In fact, he said, U.S. drug policy is overwhelmingly punitive. "I have heard John Walters speak and I didn't recognize him today. I thought that he may have had a little B.C. bud before he came to speak to us," said Liberal Senator Larry Campbell, the former mayor of Vancouver, who was that city's chief coroner and who helped create its safe-injection site for illegal drugs. "He was very mellow, but if you listen to his message carefully it contains things that should be very, very frightening to us. The idea of this random testing, to me, just sends shivers up my back." The Republicans in the United States treat prisons like a growth industry for people accused of drug crimes, Mr. Campbell said. "I think that Canadians, as a whole, have realized that addiction is a medical problem, not a criminal problem." Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Related Articles & Web Site: Drug Policy Alliance Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year A Billion Dollars a Year for Pot? Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
 |
| Comment #6 posted by afterburner on February 26, 2007 at 21:25:08 PT |
| Feedback to Walters
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/22/thread22681.shtml#15
[ Post Comment ] |
|
Comment #5 posted by rchandar on February 24, 2007 at 20:05:54 PT:
|
| "we've had continuous co-operation." Oh, sure. Threaten a small country, that you're going to shut down trade. Threaten sanctions which will cripple "legitimate" economy. Then you've got co-operation. [ Post Comment ] |
|
Comment #4 posted by user123 on February 23, 2007 at 20:05:19 PT:
|
| where he (Walter) boasted that his policies have reduced drug use among American teens by 23.2 per cent since 2001
But then he says: It is time that people acknowledged that marijuana is a dangerous drug that damages the brains of users, Mr. Walters said. He came armed with what he said were the results of studies that show that more young marijuana users are becoming dependent on the substance than alcohol or cigarettes. So there's a reduction of 23.2 perm cent (where do they get that number?) but yet MORE young smokers? A reduction, but yet more.....ohhhhh better be scared. And let's have 'em get used to regularing peeing on a bottle while we're at it. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by JustGetnBy on February 23, 2007 at 14:54:10 PT |
| I can tell you from personal experience that upon entering Canada, they have access to any information in U.S. LEO computor data banks. Depending on on the personality of the person wearing the badge you may be denied entry for a misdemeanor conviction many years ago. My Dad used to say " A good dog will bite you if you kick it too often" U.S. Customs have been treating Canadian visitors like criminal third worlders for many years. You reap what you sow. It is so sad that we the people pay the price for the arrogance of our out of control employees. They represent us, and thats even sadder.
[ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by FoM on February 23, 2007 at 10:32:19 PT |
|
Tourists with minor criminal records turned back at border. By C.W. Nevius Friday, February 23, 2007 There was a time not long ago when a trip across the border from the United States to Canada was accomplished with a wink and a wave of a driver's license. Those days are over. Take the case of 55-year-old Lake Tahoe resident Greg Felsch. Stopped at the border in Vancouver this month at the start of a planned five-day ski trip, he was sent back to the United States because of a DUI conviction seven years ago. Not that he had any idea what was going on when he was told at customs: "Your next stop is immigration.'' Complete Article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/23/MNGCAO9NSB1.DTL [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 23, 2007 at 07:12:47 PT |
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk1zTbEcvk8 [ Post Comment ] |
| Post Comment |  |
 |  |