Pubdate: Fri, 10 Oct 2003
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2003 Calgary Herald
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Sheldon Alberts and Janice Tibbetts, CanWest News Service

PM'S POT JOKES SHAME CANADIANS, U.S. DRUG CZAR SAYS

The White House's drug czar lashed out Thursday at Jean Chretien for 
relaxing marijuana laws and said Canadians are "ashamed" over the prime 
minister's recent jokes about smoking pot when he retires.

John Walters, director of the National Drug Control Policy Office, said 
Chretien was irresponsible when he said last week that he might try 
marijuana when he leaves office in February.

Canadians "are concerned about the behaviour of their prime minister, 
joking that he is going to use marijuana in his retirement," Walters said 
to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"They're ashamed."

Canada is "the one place in the hemisphere where things are going the wrong 
(way) rapidly," Walters added. "It's the only country in this hemisphere 
that's become a major drug producer instead of reducing their drug production."

Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, who is shepherding the federal 
government's marijuana legislation through the Commons, responded that 
Walters should "look in his own backyard" before criticizing Chretien.

"There are over 10 states that have in place what we call alternative 
penalties, so . . . if it is not correct to move in that direction, maybe 
he should spend some time talking to his own states."

Walters' criticisms of Chretien came following an effort by the PM to make 
light of his government's controversial decriminalization legislation.

During an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press, Chretien said he had 
never tested marijuana, but might once decriminalization legislation is 
approved.

"I don't know what is marijuana. Perhaps I will try it when it will no 
longer be criminal," he said. "I will have money for my fine and a joint in 
the other hand."

Jim Munson, Chretien's director of communications, declined to comment on 
Walters' claim Canadians are ashamed of their leader.

"I am not going to get into those kind of comments. I mean, they have their 
point of view and we have our point of view," Munson said.

Chretien, while joking about his own lack of personal experience with 
marijuana, also spoke about the need to crack down on growers and dealers 
of pot, Munson said.

The bill was handed Thursday to a special parliamentary committee, instead 
of the busy Commons justice committee, which would not be able to hold 
public hearings on the legislation until after Christmas.

Randy White, a Canadian Alliance MP on the special committee, said members 
do not intend to rush the bill. The Americans will be among the witnesses 
who will be invited to the hearings.

"We don't need any particular approval from Americans to do this, but we 
have to understand that this is a touchy issue on the borders," White said 
Thursday during a quick one-hour debate on the bill in the Commons.

"We will be inviting the Americans here to talk to us and we want to see 
what their point of view is. There is little point in developing a process 
in this country when we offend everybody south of us."

The Canadian Alliance supports decriminalization of five grams or less.

The marijuana bill proposes to decriminalize possession of 15 grams or 
less, so that people would be fined from $100 to $400 instead of receiving 
criminal records. But it also seeks to strengthen penalties against 
marijuana grow operations.

The federal government, which is under intense pressure to toughen its 
bill, is seriously considering several amendments. They are:

- - Lowering the amount of pot that would escape criminal charges to 10 grams 
from the current proposal of 15;

- - Imposing criminal sanctions instead of fines on people who are repeatedly 
caught with pot;

- - Adding a minimum mandatory sentence for people convicted of running grow 
operations. The current bill proposes doubling the maximum penalties, but 
critics say this is useless because judges seldom impose the top sentence.

Cauchon also told the Commons that he is working on a roadside test to 
detect drug use of drivers.

The government wants to amend the Criminal Code to allow police to collect 
roadside blood, saliva or urine samples. However, the change, which could 
raise concerns over the constitutional rights of Canadians, is not expected 
to be ready in time to be included in the current bill.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman