US Drug Czar: Canadians "ashamed" of PM
Posted: 10/10/2003, 11:37 am
Canadians 'ashamed' of PM?
Sheldon Alberts and Janice Tibbetts
CanWest News Service
Friday, October 10, 2003
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WASHINGTON - 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 being irresponsible when he said last week that he might try marijuana when he leaves office next 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 House of 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 you know, if it is not correct to move in that direction, maybe he should spend some time talking to his own states," Cauchon said.
Walters' criticisms of Chretien came after an effort by the prime minister to make light of his government's controversial decriminalization legislation.
In an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press, Chretien said he had never tested marijuana, but might once decriminalization legislation is approved by Parliament.
"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 that 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.
The prime minister, 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 Chretien government is fast-tracking its legislation through the House of Commons in a bid to ensure it receives final passage through Parliament by the end of the fall session.
Prime minister-in-waiting Paul Martin has been lukewarm to decriminalization and it is expected the bill would be reviewed if it doesn't pass before Chretien leaves office early next year.
The bill was handed Thursday to a special parliamentary committee, instead of the busy Commons justice committee, which wouldn't be able to hold public hearings on the controversial legislation until after Christmas.
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 marijuana grow operations. The current bill proposes doubling the maximum penalties, but critics say this is useless because judges seldom impose the top sentence.
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nothing like a little canada vs. usa to get the juices flowing.
Sheldon Alberts and Janice Tibbetts
CanWest News Service
Friday, October 10, 2003
ADVERTISEMENT
WASHINGTON - 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 being irresponsible when he said last week that he might try marijuana when he leaves office next 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 House of 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 you know, if it is not correct to move in that direction, maybe he should spend some time talking to his own states," Cauchon said.
Walters' criticisms of Chretien came after an effort by the prime minister to make light of his government's controversial decriminalization legislation.
In an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press, Chretien said he had never tested marijuana, but might once decriminalization legislation is approved by Parliament.
"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 that 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.
The prime minister, 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 Chretien government is fast-tracking its legislation through the House of Commons in a bid to ensure it receives final passage through Parliament by the end of the fall session.
Prime minister-in-waiting Paul Martin has been lukewarm to decriminalization and it is expected the bill would be reviewed if it doesn't pass before Chretien leaves office early next year.
The bill was handed Thursday to a special parliamentary committee, instead of the busy Commons justice committee, which wouldn't be able to hold public hearings on the controversial legislation until after Christmas.
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 marijuana grow operations. The current bill proposes doubling the maximum penalties, but critics say this is useless because judges seldom impose the top sentence.
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nothing like a little canada vs. usa to get the juices flowing.
We're "the one place in the hemisphere where things are going the wrong (way) rapidly"? Hahahaa 
