BRAVE IMAGE GOES UP IN SMOKE

Vetting Our Marijuana Law With the U.S. Belies the Government's Insistence
On Independence

No wonder the federal cabinet is so keen on decriminalizing marijuana.
They're already smoking it.

They must be.

How else could anyone explain behaviour so bizarre and ill-conceived as
vetting the proposed Canadian legislation dealing with marijuana with the
Americans before introducing it in the House of Commons?

But that's exactly what's happened. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon on
Tuesday gave an unprecedented preview of his proposed marijuana
decriminalization bill to John Ashcroft, the U.S. Attorney General.

The bill that, it was said, was to be introduced in the Commons Thursday,
was then delayed, reportedly due to Liberal infighting and complaints from
U.S. officials.

By taking the bill to the United States first, argued justifiably outraged
opposition MPs, Prime Minister Jean Chr?tien was showing contempt for
Parliament.

Then, in a fundraising speech, to outline the many differences that
distinguish Canadians from our American cousins, Chr?tien was being
disingenuous.

Kyoto, gun control, abortion and capital punishment are all areas in which
Canadians differ from Americans, Chr?tien told a $500-a-plate dinner
audience Wednesday. It's important for Canadians to show a different
identity, he said.

Some consistency, please.

The U.S., of course, has been pressing Canada for months to abandon its
decriminalization plans, warning such a move would cause Canadians crossing
into the U.S. delays because of more stringent border inspections. For his
part, the prime minister has consistently declared that his government
isn't worried about U.S. threats.

And so it seemed to be. When Liberal backbencher Carolyn Parrish muttered
after a media scrum: "Damn Americans. I hate those bastards," the remark
was met with scarcely a shrug by Chr?tien.

When the Liberal government decided not to participate in the war on Iraq
it said Canadian interests need not fear economic retaliation from our
neighbour to the south.

Repeatedly the message came from our government that to differ from an
American administration or a specific U.S. policy shouldn't be confused
with being anti-American.

So it was supposed to be, until American Ambassador Paul Cellucci happened
to mention that the White House was "disappointed and upset" about Canada's
decision not to send troops to Iraq.

Cellucci's comments were then followed by those of the special assistant in
the office of National Drug Control Policy David Murray, who mentioned that
Canada's potential decriminalization of marijuana was causing some U.S.
officials "concern and regret."

Ottawa, all at once, has responded by watering down its proposed law --
stiffening penalties to convicted drug traffickers and people with grow
operations and by checking with the Americans to make sure it meets with
their approval.

It's odd that suddenly this government is so worried about what the U.S.
thinks -- if it really is.