Pubdate: Sat, 19 Oct 2002
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2002 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274

BULLYING TACTICS AT U.S. BORDER WON'T HELP

The Bush administration is waving a big diplomatic stick at Canada. White 
House drug "czar" John P. Walters says U.S. border agents will intensify 
routine searches of people and goods entering the U.S. if Canada follows 
through on recent proposals to end criminal penalties for possession of 
small amounts of marijuana.

This U.S. threat is designed to get our attention, indeed, to scare us. 
"Ensuring access to the U.S. market is, arguably, the single most important 
policy consideration facing Canada in the coming decade," says Anne Golden, 
president and CEO of the Conference Board of Canada, reflecting a consensus 
among business groups.

But there's no place in Canada-U.S. relations for this kind of bullying, 
and no need for it, either. We're not a U.S. state; we're a sovereign country.

Every country, of course, is wise to consider domestic policy issues in the 
context of their real-world implications. But Canadian law is supposed to 
reflect Canadian values and the evolution of those values. As it is, 
600,000 Canadians have criminal records for simple cannabis possession and 
are effectively barred from the U.S

Mr. Walter's threat borders on the vulgar, not to say insulting. From this 
side of the border, we see it as emblematic of the simplistic approach of 
the U.S. in its so-called War on Drugs - a war, it's worth noting, that has 
plenty of critics within the U.S.

Canadians need not hasten to bend to this clumsy American pressure, because 
the U.S. government should see the folly of this tactic soon enough.

For one thing, there's no real reason to believe that decriminalization 
will lead to more smuggling of drugs; marijuana markets in both countries 
seem to be amply supplied already. And even at the current level of 
spot-checking and other enforcement, anyone caught carrying marijuana into 
the U.S., in large amounts or small, with or without decriminalization 
here, should expect to bear the full consequences of U.S. justice. And 
longer delays at the border - whatever the reason - would be costly for 
both countries.

As we have said before, decriminalization makes sense for Canada. We don't 
insist that the Americans also decriminalize; they should avoid insisting, too.

So we would like to see the Americans take a deep breath (of fresh air) and 
calm down a little. There are many border issues these days; they all 
demand thoughtful discussion. Bullying tactics won't help.
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MAP posted-by: Alex