PM'S POT JOKES SHAME CANADIANS, U.S. DRUG CZAR SAYS

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 irresponsible when he said last week that he might try
marijuana when he leaves office in 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 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 . . . if it is not correct to move in that direction, maybe
he should spend some time talking to his own states."

Walters' criticisms of Chretien came following an effort by the PM to make
light of his government's controversial decriminalization legislation.

During an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press, Chretien said he had
never tested marijuana, but might once decriminalization legislation is
approved.

"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 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.

Chretien, 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 bill was handed Thursday to a special parliamentary committee, instead
of the busy Commons justice committee, which would not be able to hold
public hearings on the legislation until after Christmas.

Randy White, a Canadian Alliance MP on the special committee, said members
do not intend to rush the bill. The Americans will be among the witnesses
who will be invited to the hearings.

"We don't need any particular approval from Americans to do this, but we
have to understand that this is a touchy issue on the borders," White said
Thursday during a quick one-hour debate on the bill in the Commons.

"We will be inviting the Americans here to talk to us and we want to see
what their point of view is. There is little point in developing a process
in this country when we offend everybody south of us."

The Canadian Alliance supports decriminalization of five grams or less.

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 grow
operations. The current bill proposes doubling the maximum penalties, but
critics say this is useless because judges seldom impose the top sentence.

Cauchon also told the Commons that he is working on a roadside test to
detect drug use of drivers.

The government wants to amend the Criminal Code to allow police to collect
roadside blood, saliva or urine samples. However, the change, which could
raise concerns over the constitutional rights of Canadians, is not expected
to be ready in time to be included in the current bill.