cannabisnews.com: U.S. Offers Help with Anti-Drug Campaign U.S. Offers Help with Anti-Drug Campaign Posted by CN Staff on May 29, 2003 at 14:44:00 PT By Tim Harper, Washington Bureau Source: Toronto Star Washington — The Bush administration now feels Canada has taken a "more sober" position on marijuana and instead of threatening to slow border traffic, the president's drug czar is offering to help Ottawa warn of the dangers of pot.John Walters, however, wouldn't say Washington's concerns caused the Chrétien government to soften its marijuana legislation, tabled this week. "We have tried to be helpful in private with Canadian officials and tried to make clear in advance what our concerns were, so there wouldn't be a sense that we hadn't been candid if these problems got worse," he said in an interview yesterday."We have offered to work with Canadian officials with what we have learned, painfully, about this topic," Walters said. "We don't want to see people unnecessarily put at risk or put in danger."Solicitor-General Wayne Easter has already received U.S. data on the effects of tough anti-marijuana advertisements on American youth.But an official with a national organization seeking to reform marijuana laws in this country called Walters an "ill-informed buffoon" who is firing shots at a sovereign country when he is losing his hard-line anti-marijuana campaign right here at home.The Liberal bill tabled Tuesday would make penalties for possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana a minor offence punishable by fines similar to those in Ohio. In that state, possession of up to 100 grams is punishable by a ticket and a fine of up to $100, with no criminal record.Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said he found it sad that Ottawa let Washington's concerns play into domestic decisions. He said he was aghast that Justice Minister Martin Cauchon would fly to Washington to meet U.S. Attorney-General John Ashcroft to brief him on the Canadian proposal before it was presented to MPs."Can you imagine the anger, the sense of outrage in this country if we had put a cabinet minister on a mission to have our laws reviewed by another nation before we have outlined it at home?"Sadly, that shows an erosion of Canadian sovereignty."Twelve U.S. states, along with the District of Columbia, have decriminalized or relaxed marijuana laws."This is really a lot of hullabaloo from the U.S. government over nothing," St. Pierre said. "There are 100 million Americans, a third of the population, already living under Canadian-style laws."Note: Made concerns clear, top Bush official says Canada's sovereignty eroded, critic charges.Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)Author: Tim HarperPublished: May 29, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Toronto Star Contact: lettertoed thestar.com Website: http://www.thestar.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Drug Czar Wants Tougher Stance Against Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13116.shtmlDrug Czar Visits Canada Wants Tougher War on Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13109.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by WolfgangWylde on May 30, 2003 at 04:21:52 PT What this is really... ...about is directly feeding U.S. generated lies to the Canadian people. Unfortunately for the Drug Warriors, the Canadian press has developed the pesky habit of fact-checking on their own, something sorely lacking in the American press. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by lombar on May 29, 2003 at 23:39:50 PT Then just stop enforcing prohibiton at GUNPOINT! "We don't want to see people unnecessarily put at risk or put in danger."(We'd rather deny their medicine, jail them, take all their property, restrict their privledges, make it impossible to get a job, make them pee in a cup on demand, deny their right to vote, and paste a big red letter on their heads forever. Never mind if the police 'accidentally' shoot them in the process of booting their door down should they protest or resist or have their TV remote in their hands....and give the guy a paid holiday for it. Did we mention that we use YOUR money to give you all this first class service? The ultra wealthy that we just gave a big tax cut to are behind us 100%, you teeming millions just don't matter beside their interests!)"For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on May 29, 2003 at 20:33:22 PT: Oh, now really, do the Canucks need lessons in wastrel spending? I was a watching some of the the caandian version of the British Parliament Questions period and was stunned at some of the figures bandied about concerning public expenditures.Namely, how low the figures were. As someone who was once a US Fed civil servant, the heated arguments of how many hundred million they'd spend on this or that were almost laugable. But then it hit me; they didn't have the modern day version of Moloch, the military industrial complex, on their backs sucking their life's blood and feeding a huge monster that's so grossly obese that it can barely move. No illusory largesse to keep things going. The Canucks simply cannot freakin' AFFORD the huge waste denoted by anti-drug programs.But what's even funnier, is that Walters is offering to export a program which only a few short days ago was admitted by him and his buddy Ashcroft that they DON'Y FREAKIN' WORK!Do Canadians need advice on how to waste their taxpayers dollars...by the biggest wasters of all? It's like asking a street-dwelling wino for his advice about how to drink responsibly. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on May 29, 2003 at 20:23:02 PT phil I don't think you are paranoid. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by phil_debowl on May 29, 2003 at 20:13:25 PT Maybe Maybe i'm not just paranoid? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by global_warming on May 29, 2003 at 17:43:40 PT: We Shall See It has been to many years to come to the conclusion, That MM might be real, The governments of this world Have had enough time to figure this out, They have dragged the issues, and dragged the science, They stand for protection, Protecting the high price of the herb, Protecting the Big Money interestsThat pay for the fancy suits, Rotted to the core, feeding on our blood, They stand silent before the Night They will not escape justice, For the souls they imprison, Sing of freedom and righteousness,There are 2 kinds of people in this world, The people that hammered the nails into the flesh of Jesus, The people that watched and thought that this was wrong, 2000 and 3 years later, The world goes on, With more crucifixions, Incarcerations and secret denials,Oh, ones filled with darkness, Reach for the eternal Light, The only truth that you can have, Life and death mingle to reveal, The mysteries of this universe Swept up in a whirlwind With angels wings fluttering Gathering around the Light With each breath we chance eternity Against the unforgiving NightWe have only one choice The choice that will redeem To stay in the Light The Light of God For God has built this universe Through mystery and light The stars that twinkle Reveal the secret nature That binds us to heaven...Mr. Kucinich has my vote, Can he stand up against, The gangsters and tyrants that rule, My prayers to Ed Rosenthal, My prayers to the souls that are incarcerated Blameless and most cruel, My tears are drowned by the cry's The cry's of the forsaken The cry's of the forgotten The cry's of the children God have mercy on my mortal soul Forgive me.... For I have placed the nail I have hammerd the nail Into the flesh of your child...These times of cabals Hide a deeper truth For the power of lust Succors the need for power, Like parasites that feed upon our flesh My blood comes to fever Trapped in my tomb A slow and painful death Awaits my last breath For the demons of Hell Have rooted into this world,Who will stand up And be crucified next Let the blood pour Young and old There is not enough war To destroy what God has wrought Let the young and foolish Lay down and understand The perils of darknessCanada I pray that you are whole Be not fooled by the darkness That surrounds you,I, am not a religious person But I have a mind A mind that sees the folly A mind that sees the Night Little children must play in the sand Until thay awaken Until thay grow oldSearch till you tire The answers are surrounded By mystery and night We cannot know Gods plan At this time But know that God In infinite wisdom Gives us all life Breath and love Be certain that all the children Need the chance to awaken To the mysteries of creationStop the crucifixions Stop the denials Stop the foolishness That media has ignored Stop the ignorance...I pray for peace I pray for understanding I pray that we all can breathe I pray that we all can reach the heavens I praygw [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Virgil on May 29, 2003 at 16:12:02 PT Alternet and its Reuters article NarcoNews links to an Alternet hosting of today's Reuter's article on Canada's cannabis situation- http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N27278608.htmThe Newshour on PBS with Jim Lehrer had Kucinich, the Democratic Congressman running for president, on the show talking about universal health care. I am for universal health care and last night on Charlie Rose a British man jumped on the American liberals that did not speak to the "Social contract" we all have with each other. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on May 29, 2003 at 14:51:41 PT Later this year....... How much would you pay to be a fly on the wall in DC later this year when the phones start ringing with the news that ALL of Canada's marijuana laws have been struck down! I can hardly wait.......It will be interesting to see if the Bush cabal is equally vociferous about marijuana during campaign season. With the economy crumbling, I doubt they'll start talking about upopular marijuana policies. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment