cannabisnews.com: Pot Bill Could Mean Trade Slowdown: Congressman





Pot Bill Could Mean Trade Slowdown: Congressman
Posted by CN Staff on November 06, 2004 at 20:35:40 PT
By CTV.ca News Staff
Source: CTV
An influential U.S. Congressman is predicting a trade slowdown if Canada decriminalizes marijuana possession."I believe there'll be more searches at the border both coming and going from Canada, which hurts our trade," said Republican Mark Souder, in an interview to be broadcast Sunday on CTV's Question Period. "Trade is the anchor of our relationship and our friendship and anything that shows that down, complicates that."
Souder is chair of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources. According to his website, "The Subcommittee is responsible for authorizing legislation for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and its programs as well as general oversight for all U.S. government drug control efforts, including international and interdiction programs, law enforcement, and prevention and treatment initiatives. The subcommittee has also looked at the issue of border security and law enforcement.Canada's trade with the U.S. has been valued at one million dollars per minute, 24 hours per day.The federal government indicated this week it intended to reintroduce legislation to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana for amounts of 15 grams or less.The U.S. has a "zero tolerance" policy on illicit drugs. It has expressed unhappiness with Canada's plan to not burden people with a criminal record if caught with small quantities of marijuana.In Tuesday's U.S. elections, a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in Alaska failed. Montanans voted to legalize medical marijuana use, making it the ninth U.S. state to do so. Oregon residents voted against expanding its medical marijuana program. Same-Sex Marriage Souder, a self-professed evangelical Christian from Indiana, also had some criticisms for Canada's plan to allow same-sex marriage.In Tuesday's U.S. elections, 11 states voted against allowing same-sex marriages. Six others also have such bans in place. U.S. President George W. Bush has called for a constitutional amendment banning such marriages.By comparison, a Saskatchewan judge has allowed same-sex marriages in that province this week, which are already legal in four provinces after court rulings. The federal government has submitted same-sex marriage legislation to the Supreme Court to see if it passes constitutional muster.With Bush winning re-election with a majority and the Republicans having majorities in both houses of Congress, most observers believe the U.S. is now a centre-right nation.States that support Bush's Republican Party are known as Red states, and there's a massive swath of them between the Rocky Mountains and Midwest, going southward down through to Florida."So much red to me indicates to little tolerance," one U.S. citizen said.With a report from CTV's Paula NewtonSource: CTV (Canada)Published: November 6, 2004Copyright: 2004 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. Website: http://www.ctv.ca/Contact: newsonline ctv.ca Related Articles & Web Site: Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmLet's Remember Prohibition and Legalize http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19755.shtmlOttawa Revives Plan To Relax Pot Lawshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19754.shtmlCanada Renews Plan To Decriminalise Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19753.shtml
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Comment #12 posted by Stick on November 08, 2004 at 06:55:48 PT
exits to canada
Thats odd. All these years driving an 18 wheeler around Indiana, I still havent seen an exit ramp to the G.W.N. Guess we can stop calling Canada that. Sorry to see another Soldier killed by a land mine, driving an unarmored vehicle.
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Comment #11 posted by mayan on November 08, 2004 at 02:20:46 PT
Yeah, Right!
Trade slowdown? The U.S economy is about to tank as it is!Gold Hits 16-Year High on Weak Dollar:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041105/bs_nm/markets_usa_commodities_dc_1 
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Comment #10 posted by The GCW on November 07, 2004 at 15:56:12 PT
I wonder if Joyce Nelepka and Mark Souder
have anything going on the side...Gross.(I'm gonna just "Click Confirm Post Below!" and skip this one.)
 
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Comment #9 posted by The GCW on November 07, 2004 at 15:53:51 PT
That's it!
Send Souder to Iraq as a bomb! The worst thing We can do is bomb Iraq with Mark Souders.Lots of them.500 pound Mark Souder bombs.Partially Hydrogenated with war heads, ah hell, We don't need no stinkin' war heads; Souder is a warhead.Drop them out the hatch from bombers at 30,000 feet.Ships ahoy. Or at least, oh shi... 420MARK SOUDER BOMBS.Remember when activists were targeting politicians to can them. How did Souder get through.Da bomb. Shrapnel breath.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on November 07, 2004 at 15:51:02 PT
Related Article from The CTV.ca 
Pot Bill Could Affect Border Trade, Canada ToldCTV.ca News StaffNovember 7, 2004Canada could be facing a trade slowdown if it pushes ahead with decriminalizing marijuana possession, an influential U.S. congressman said Sunday."Canada has to make its own decisions, just as we do in the United States," Republican Mark Souder told CTV's Question Period. But, he said, Canadians "need to think through the consequences" of those decisions."Some of the drug policies (and) clearly some of the marriage policies, we have difficulties about," he said.Impact on trade Souder said he is particularly concerned about issues that impact on cross-border trade -- especially looser laws on pot possession."I believe there'll be more searches at the border both coming and going from Canada, which hurts our trade," he said."I've been very worried about the drift on marijuana policy and what that means."Souder is from Indiana and Canada is his state's largest trading partner.He is chair of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources. According to his website, "The Subcommittee is responsible for authorizing legislation for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and its programs as well as general oversight for all U.S. government drug control efforts, including international and interdiction programs, law enforcement, and prevention and treatment initiatives. The subcommittee has also looked at the issue of border security and law enforcement.Souder said looser drug laws will have an impact on broader issues of security."It won't change our long standing trade policies, our friendships with Canada," Souder said."But those kind of things make it difficult to think of ourselves as a North American perimeter when we don't know whether narcotics -- which increasingly funds terrorists -- going to be more common along the border."Canada's trade with the U.S. has been valued at one million dollars per minute, 24 hours per day.The federal government indicated this week it intended to reintroduce legislation to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana for amounts of 15 grams or less.The U.S. has a "zero tolerance" policy on illicit drugs. It has expressed unhappiness with Canada's plan to not burden people with a criminal record if caught with small quantities of marijuana.In Tuesday's U.S. elections, a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in Alaska failed. People in Montana voted to legalize medical marijuana use, making it the ninth U.S. state to do so. Oregon residents voted against expanding its medical marijuana program.Same-sex Marriage Souder, a self-professed evangelical Christian from Indiana, also had some criticisms for Canada's plan to allow same-sex marriage.In Tuesday's U.S. elections, 11 states voted against allowing same-sex marriages. Six others also have such bans in place. U.S. President George W. Bush has called for a constitutional amendment banning such marriages.By comparison, a Saskatchewan judge has allowed same-sex marriages in that province this week, which are already legal in four provinces after court rulings. In Ottawa, the government has submitted same-sex marriage legislation to the Supreme Court to see if it passes constitutional muster."We're probably heading towards some type of civil union accommodation to try to deal with those kinds of questions," Souder told Question Period.Still, he pointed out that same-sex couples will have to be aware of differences in laws when they cross the border."I think it could be complicating if people who are Canadian citizens come to the U.S. and expect to be respected by U.S. law the same way."But I don't think it will be a major tension between the two countries because those are more internal concerns than things that result in trade problems like drugs would."Souder was also asked if Americans were paying much attention to anti-American comments made by some Canadians such as Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish."I know this would probably be frustrating to some of your viewers, but there's not a lot of talk," he said.Still, he said, he would like to see more contact between the leaders of both countries."We're hoping that Prime Minister Martin and President Bush can get together on a more regular basis."Copyright: 2004 Bell Globemedia Inc. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1099791531979_12?hub=QPeriod
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Comment #7 posted by afterburner on November 07, 2004 at 12:34:25 PT
Watch Out Tomato&Lettuce Growers, Police Watching
CN BC: Liberals Consider Hydroponics Registry http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1586/a04.html?397
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Comment #6 posted by The GCW on November 07, 2004 at 09:07:00 PT
I vote to send Mark Souder to Iraq
with no way back.Jack.
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on November 07, 2004 at 07:28:06 PT
Officer, can I barrow Your scale?
"...officers might need weigh scales to determine how much pot a person is carrying to ensure that police are not laying fines when they should be laying criminal charges." http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1585/a09.html?397Perhaps the kind officer could help check that the ounce I just purchased really weighs an ounce. Perhaps they could even be dealing... no minors of course; just majors.To serve and protect.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on November 06, 2004 at 22:42:30 PT
AP: Americans Fleeing To Canada Must Wait in Line
By Colin McClelland, Associated PressNovember 6, 2004Those upset by Bush will be treated like any other immigrantsTORONTO - Americans attempting to escape four more years of President Bush by fleeing to Canada will have to wait in line, just like immigrants from any other country, the Immigration Ministry said Wednesday. 
Over the years, Canada's social climate has shifted to the left of the United States, with relatively higher taxes supporting programs such as public health care. That and the promise of legalized gay marriage and lenient marijuana laws might be a draw to some Democrats despondent over Bush victory and the promise of continued conservatism from his administration.The U.S. consulate in Toronto estimates there already may be a million Americans living in Canada — most don't register — about a quarter of them in Ontario.But Americans who want to join the expatriate ranks across what is called the world's longest undefended border won't get special treatment just because their brother is married to a Canadian or they like cheap weekends in French-speaking Montreal."The immigration program is universal — it applies to everyone the same," France Bureau, spokeswoman for Immigration and Citizenship Minister Judy Sgro said."People must apply at a visa mission abroad and all applicants must meet the requirements," Bureau said.All immigrants need a work permit, a government Web site says. A government department must approve any offer of local employment before a permit is issued.Those without a job offer can apply in the skilled worker category to become a permanent resident, which takes about a year to process. Applicants must have enough funds to support themselves in the meantime.Skilled worker applicants must posses a minimum of points in required areas such as education and language proficiency.Immigrants wanting to live and invest in Canada must have a net worth of $662,000 and be ready to put up at least $331,000.Copyright: 2004 Associated Presshttp://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/world/2886807
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on November 06, 2004 at 22:14:06 PT
afterburner 
Very well said.
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Comment #2 posted by afterburner on November 06, 2004 at 21:49:08 PT
Go to Health, Mark Souder
Canada will not back down on same-sex marriage, why should it back down on cannabis decrim? Even though I am straight I agree with former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Eliot Trudeau, "The state does not belong in the bedrooms of the nation." Even though the c-17 bill introduced to Parliament is woefully inadequate, FoM is right that what's good for Chicago or Ohio is good for Canada. Just because we trade does not mean we are the 51st state in your dictatorship. Some gay citizens of Canada would find the voting down of 11 state initiatives regarding gay marriage as a trade irritant. E Pluribus Unum does not mean everyone is exactly the same. It means we share common traditions and goals, and that we work together to find common consensus.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on November 06, 2004 at 20:52:32 PT
Why Is It Ok For Chicago To Decriminalize?
Walters did not object to the concept of imposing fines on people caught with small amounts of pot. ***U.S. Neither For Nor Against Plan To Fine for Pot: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19537.shtml
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