Pubdate: Fri, 23 Feb 2007
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Melissa Arseniuk, CanWest News Service
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/walters.htm (Walters, John)

U.S. DRUG CZAR PUSHES CANADA TO GET TOUGHER ON MARIJUANA

OTTAWA -- American drug czar John Walters wants Canadian officials to 
crack down on marijuana use, stop the export of "B.C. bud" to the 
U.S., and co-operate with extradition requests.

That tough approach to drugs was tempered somewhat yesterday by the 
director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, who 
thanked Canadian officials and law enforcement in Ottawa for their 
"outstanding co-operation" in the war against drugs.

"Today in the United States, more young people are dependent on 
marijuana than any other illegal drug," he said, adding, "More teens 
seek treatment for marijuana dependency than all other illegal drugs 
combined, more than alcohol."

However, Walters credited a 23 per cent drop in drug use among 
American teens to a variety of controversial initiatives, including 
random marijuana testing of high school students, a practice Liberal 
Senator Larry Campbell called "ethically repugnant."

Walters said the U.S. will be looking to Canada to help crack down on 
the international flow of drugs -- including the export of marijuana, 
particularly that which is grown in B.C.

People who export drugs to the U.S. from Canada "think the border 
will either protect them from risk of being arrested, or if they're 
arrested, they'll face lesser consequences than they would if they 
were caught in the United States," he said.

That means the country will continue asking Canada to extradite its 
citizens who have been charged with drug-related offences in the U.S.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman