U.S. warns Canada against easing pot laws

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

C B C . C A   N e w s   -   F u l l   S t o r y :
------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. warns Canada against easing pot laws
Last Updated Fri May 2 15:22:59 2003

VANCOUVER-- A top White House drug policy official is threatening
retaliation from the U.S. if Canada relaxes its laws against marijuana
possession. 


David Murray 

David Murray, right-hand man to U.S. "drug czar" John Walters, says he
doesn't want to tread on another country's sovereignty, but warned there
would be consequences if Canada proceeds with a plan to decriminalize the
possession of marijuana.


*    FROM APRIL 29, 2003: PM says pot soon to be decriminalized


"We would have to respond. We would be forced to respond," said Murray.

Murray didn't spell out what the American response would be, but he invoked
images of tie-ups at border crossings and intense bureaucracy.

He said if marijuana becomes more widely used in Canada, it could penetrate
more widely into the U.S.

Murray tried to express the feeling in the U.S. that looser drug laws go
hand-in-hand with increase in crime and drug addiction among youth, and used
some apocalyptic language to do it.

"You can't wall this off saying, 'We're only talking about a little
cannabis.' Our experience is they come together like the Four Horsemen," he
said. 

Murray said Canada's reputation in the global community would be forever
altered if it decided to decriminalize pot.

"It's not just Canada's relationship with the United States that would
change; it's Canada's relationship with the world," he said.


*    INDEPTH: Continental Divide: The U.S. and Canada's love-hate
relationship


In fact, many countries, notably in Europe, have already decriminalized
marijuana, but none of them share a border with the U.S., where the policy
is zero tolerance for smoking pot.


Written by CBC News Online staff


Copyright © 2003 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved 

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
  http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/