cannabisnews.com: Canada's New Marijuana Law Will Worsen US Problems Canada's New Marijuana Law Will Worsen US Problems Posted by CN Staff on August 22, 2003 at 16:03:14 PT By The Canadian Press Source: Canadian Press Detroit -- The United States is being inundated with potent marijuana from Canada, and the problem would be exacerbated if Ottawa decriminalized the drug, the U.S. drug czar said Friday. While marijuana possession would remain illegal under the proposed Canadian legislation, those found with up to 15 grams would receive a citation similar to a traffic ticket. Violators would be ticketed and ordered to pay fines ranging from $100 to $400 Cdn. John P. Walters, director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, said some Canadian drug traffickers have used selective breeding to grow marijuana that has up to 30 per cent content of THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana. In comparison, he said, much of the marijuana used in the 1970s had less than one per cent content of THC. High-potency marijuana is more likely to cause addiction and health problems, officials have said. "The kind of marijuana coming from Canada is essentially the crack of marijuana," Walters said in a news conference at a Detroit drug treatment centre. "It is dangerous. It is destructive." Walters added that a multibillion-dollar industry has emerged in Canada to produce and distribute drugs to the United States. "The problem is the political leadership in Canada has been utterly unable to come to grips with this," he said. "They're talking about legalization while Rome burns." Canada's Solicitor General Wayne Easter, the minister responsible for the RCMP, has already played down such fears. "We do have the sovereign right to make our own laws. And there is a recognition that the current laws are not working," Easter said earlier this year. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, who introduced the new legislation in May, has said the only thing that will change is the way some offences will be prosecuted. "We are not legalizing marijuana and have no plans to do so," Cauchon said at the time. One of the Canadian government's main reasons for moving ahead with the changes is that casual pot smokers will no longer face the threat of jail and a small-time user won't automatically end up with a criminal record. However, there would be no respite for growers or dealers. The maximum sentence for grow operations would be 14 years in prison, up from the current seven. The penalty for trafficking would remain a maximum life sentence, although in practice the longest terms usually handed out are about 20 years for major dealers. Complete Title: Canada's New Marijuana Law Will Worsen U.S. Problems, American Official SaysSource: Canadian Press Published: August 22, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Canadian PressRelated Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmDecrim. Would Exacerbate American Drug Problemhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17131.shtmlChrétien Blasts MPs for Meddling with Pot Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17121.shtmlNot Leaning on US To Halt Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17110.shtmlHow Far Will MPs Go To Torpedo a Bill?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17109.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by OverwhelmSam on August 24, 2003 at 16:32:04 PT: Walters- What a Maroon! AaaHaaHaaHaaHaa What a fanatic! AaaHaaHaaHaaHaa [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by ekim on August 23, 2003 at 07:50:04 PT i have heard that in order to see jpee one needs to have a background ck done. does anyone know if this is true. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by John Tyler on August 23, 2003 at 07:29:15 PT Annoyed again This guy annoys me so much. With his every word he screams his ignorance. Another thing troubles me about him, and this government of ours, is that they love to mouth off about freedom and the rule of law, etc., etc. and here is the Canadian government seemly doing the will of their people … “easing up on their cannabis laws” to some extent, and our government has an absolute fit. John, wake up. You are in some “Drug Free dream world”. Millions of good people in the U.S., Canada and Europe have been using cannabis for decades now. The sky hasn’t fallen. It is past time for a change. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on August 23, 2003 at 05:40:59 PT Better yet, get specimen bottles Fill them with (I leave this to your ingenuity and imagination) and pitch them at his motorcade, on the sidewalk in front of him, everywhere he goes. He wants pee? Let him have pee. Real or simulated, it's left to your discretion.Or parade around with a sign that says "You want a test sample? Then open your mouth, Johnny!" Or stand up and pantomime fly-unzipping motions at his speeches. If some interpid media wonks ask why, just tell them that you thought poor Mr. Walters's throat was getting so sore, running around and telling so many lies about cannabis, that he might need some refreshment. Remind them of his middle initial...constantly use the phonetic English for the letter as we do here. And how so many of his anti friends profit so much from the analysis of urine. Remember the line "Precious bodily fluids!" from "Dr. Stangelove"? Recall that to the media, too. (I don't have time to explain this to the younger set, so I strongly suggest you young 'uns out there ought to rent that movie, and see if you don't find some similarities between the twisted and uptight characters in that film and some of the nutcases we have running this country).Mocking laughter has stopped more self-important blowhard jerks and fools in their tracks than bullets ever have. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Motavation on August 23, 2003 at 05:06:59 PT: I'd throw my cup at the U.S. (drug) czar What holly water is to Vampires. THC pee is to John Pee Walters [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Lehder on August 22, 2003 at 21:15:06 PT i know what! Besides holding my sign, I'm gonna tie a paper cup to my fly. Just in case he needs a fix. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Lehder on August 22, 2003 at 21:07:20 PT what's his schedule? When does he come to cleveland? I see him giving a speech, we're holding up our signs and turning our backs to him as he speaks. Or maybe he's too cowardly to make anything but nonappearances - limo in thru the basement, meet with the mayor and a few embedded reporters, like Bush and Blair in the Azores. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Petard on August 22, 2003 at 19:38:37 PT More coverage of Pee Walters Why do they even bother to entertain this confused, disillusioned, crackpot and listen to his rantings and ravings. Pee Walters is nothing but a nutcase who can't tell the difference between light and dark (Crisco Light and dark skinned peoples right to freedom that is). He makes up statistics as he goes along comparing hemp to kind bud, kind bud to crack cocaine, decrim to legalisation, possession to distribution, ancient Rome to now, etc., etc.. Sheesh, Ronny Raygun had alzheimers and could still speek more intelligibly than Pee Walters. Quick, somebody let Pee Walters use a lifeline (phone a friend is out though, he has none, and he won't ask the audience cuz they want something different than him). [ Post Comment ] Post Comment