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Content-Language: en
Global National STORY =20
Canadian marijuana reform concern to U.S.
Monday, May 13, 2002
=20
Who would have thought you'd live long enough to see this. Hearings by=20
Canadian parliamentarians into legalizing marijuana. And even more amazing i=
s=20
whose running the hearings.
<A HREF=3D"
http://mirror.canada.com/toronto/globaltv/info/video/130502gn_top=
story.ram"> Global reports</A>
Senators, whose average age has tended to those 55 plus. But today in Regina=
=20
they kicked off a series of meetings aimed at looking at whether it's time t=
o=20
take smoking pot off the list of crimes in Canada. And framing these=20
discussions is a little-noticed report they've just issued reaching some=20
startling conclusions.=20
The Senate committee concludes there is no convincing evidence that smoking=20
pot leads to using harder drugs.
It says marijuana use does not induce users to commit other crimes, or engag=
e=20
in risky activity such as driving quickly.
The Senate also found that one in every three Canadian kids age 15 and 16 ha=
s=20
smoked at least once in the past month, and that one and a half million=20
Canadians have a criminal record because of what the Senate calls simple=20
possession.=20
Ground-breaking stuff. But this report, and Canada=E2=80=99s willingness to=20=
allow=20
people to use marijuana for medical purposes, also seems to have raised the=20
ire of the U.S. in a significant way. We=E2=80=99ve learned tonight that its=
drug=20
czar is pressuring Canadian authorities not to loosen Canadian law and he's=20
carrying a very big stick -- threatening trade sanctions if we don't do what=
=20
he wants. Global National's Carl Hanlon has the exclusive details.=20
On the street its called B.C. bud and American demand for it is reaching new=
=20
highs.
Sources close to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency say it will soon issue a=20
report claiming there are 15 to 20,000 marijuana growing operations in=20
British Columbia alone and 95 per cent of the output is headed south.
"A dramatic increase in the gross quantity of marijuana of high potency=20
coming across the border," says Colonel Robert Maginnis, a U.S. government=20
adviser on drug policy. He says the bush administration is alarmed by a=20
recent Senate study that says Canada=E2=80=99s marijuana laws are ineffectiv=
e.
The U.S. fears the next step could be looser regulations leading to more=20
drugs crossing the border and its ready to play hardball with trade to make=20
sure that doesn't happen.
"To antagonize government leaders and grass roots leader because you insist=20
on having a radical drug policy that we will not ignore in the long term,=20
then its going to have adverse consequences and I hope we would be able to=20
rectify it before it comes to blows," explains Maginnis.
The U.S. is closely watching the Canadian marijuana debate and is working=20
behind the scenes to influence the outcome. Next month the president's chief=
=20
of drug policy attend a drug conference in Quebec and he'll make sure his=20
counterparts understand the U.S. opposes liberalization.
As for the Canadian government, solicitor general Lawrence Macaulay did not=20
respond when asked if Canada is being pressured by U.S.
The organization for the reform of marijuana laws says the Americans have a=20
habit of throwing their weight around to influence other country's drug laws=
.
Ottawa was pushing ahead with plans to provide government grown medical=20
marijuana people with serious illness, but those efforts appear to have=20
stalled.
But the American angst over medical marijuana use may be a little premature.=
=20
As of Friday fewer than 255 Canadians have received licenses to smoke,=20
And of those 164 can smoke their own because enough government grown isn't=20
available yet.=20
Link:
<A HREF=3D"
http://www.medicalmarihuana.ca/aboutus.html">MedicalMarihuana.ca<=
/A>
=C2=A9 Copyright 2002 Global National
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=
=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"> <IMG SRC=3D"http://mirror.canada.com/images/space=
r.gif" WIDTH=3D"1" HEIGHT=3D"10" BORDER=3D"0">Global National STORY <BR>
Canadian marijuana reform concern to U.S.<BR>
<BR>
Monday, May 13, 2002<BR>
<BR>
Who would have thought you'd live long enough to see this. Hearings by Canad=
ian parliamentarians into legalizing marijuana. And even more amazing is who=
se running the hearings.<BR>
<BR>
<IMG SRC=3D"http://mirror.canada.com/toronto/globaltv/info/video/video.gif"=
WIDTH=3D"30" HEIGHT=3D"14" BORDER=3D"0"><A HREF=3D"http://mirror.canada.com=
/toronto/globaltv/info/video/130502gn_topstory.ram"> Global reports</A><BR>
Senators, whose average age has tended to those 55 plus. But today in Regina=
they kicked off a series of meetings aimed at looking at whether it's time=20=
to take smoking pot off the list of crimes in Canada. And framing these disc=
ussions is a little-noticed report they've just issued reaching some startli=
ng conclusions. <BR>
<BR>
The Senate committee concludes there is no convincing evidence that smoking=20=
pot leads to using harder drugs.<BR>
<BR>
It says marijuana use does not induce users to commit other crimes, or engag=
e in risky activity such as driving quickly.<BR>
<BR>
The Senate also found that one in every three Canadian kids age 15 and 16 ha=
s smoked at least once in the past month, and that one and a half million Ca=
nadians have a criminal record because of what the Senate calls simple posse=
ssion. <BR>
<BR>
Ground-breaking stuff. But this report, and Canada=E2=80=99s willingness to=20=
allow people to use marijuana for medical purposes, also seems to have raise=
d the ire of the U.S. in a significant way. We=E2=80=99ve learned tonight th=
at its drug czar is pressuring Canadian authorities not to loosen Canadian l=
aw and he's carrying a very big stick -- threatening trade sanctions if we d=
on't do what he wants. Global National's Carl Hanlon has the exclusive detai=
ls. <BR>
<BR>
On the street its called B.C. bud and American demand for it is reaching new=
highs.<BR>
<BR>
Sources close to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency say it will soon issue a r=
eport claiming there are 15 to 20,000 marijuana growing operations in Britis=
h Columbia alone and 95 per cent of the output is headed south.<BR>
<BR>
"A dramatic increase in the gross quantity of marijuana of high potency comi=
ng across the border," says Colonel Robert Maginnis, a U.S. government advis=
er on drug policy. He says the bush administration is alarmed by a recent Se=
nate study that says Canada=E2=80=99s marijuana laws are ineffective.<BR>
<BR>
The U.S. fears the next step could be looser regulations leading to more dru=
gs crossing the border and its ready to play hardball with trade to make sur=
e that doesn't happen.<BR>
<BR>
"To antagonize government leaders and grass roots leader because you insist=20=
on having a radical drug policy that we will not ignore in the long term, th=
en its going to have adverse consequences and I hope we would be able to rec=
tify it before it comes to blows," explains Maginnis.<BR>
<BR>
The U.S. is closely watching the Canadian marijuana debate and is working be=
hind the scenes to influence the outcome. Next month the president's chief o=
f drug policy attend a drug conference in Quebec and he'll make sure his cou=
nterparts understand the U.S. opposes liberalization.<BR>
<BR>
As for the Canadian government, solicitor general Lawrence Macaulay did not=20=
respond when asked if Canada is being pressured by U.S.<BR>
<BR>
The organization for the reform of marijuana laws says the Americans have a=20=
habit of throwing their weight around to influence other country's drug laws=
.<BR>
<BR>
Ottawa was pushing ahead with plans to provide government grown medical mari=
juana people with serious illness, but those efforts appear to have stalled.=
<BR>
<BR>
But the American angst over medical marijuana use may be a little premature.=
<BR>
<BR>
As of Friday fewer than 255 Canadians have received licenses to smoke, <BR>
<BR>
And of those 164 can smoke their own because enough government grown isn't a=
vailable yet. <BR>
<BR>
<B>Link:</B><BR>
<BR>
<A HREF=3D"http://www.medicalmarihuana.ca/aboutus.html">MedicalMarihuana.ca<=
/A><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
=C2=A9 Copyright 2002 Global National<BR>
<BR>
<IMG SRC=3D"http://mirror.canada.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH=3D"1" HEIGHT=
=3D"18" BORDER=3D"0"> <BR>
<IMG SRC=3D"http://www.canada.com/components/printstory/images/s_print_stor=
y.gif" WIDTH=3D"87" HEIGHT=3D"14" BORDER=3D"0"> <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</FONT> </HTML>
--part1_19c.2540c5d.2a149f76_boundary--
