WHAT'S WORSE: MARIJUANA OR GUNS?

This week, federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon met with John Ashcroft,
the U.S. Attorney-General, to discuss Canada's plan to decriminalize
possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. The following
day, word emerged from the federal government that introduction of its
marijuana bill would be postponed until at least the end of May, and
perhaps longer. While the delay is being blamed mostly on Liberal
infighting, the timing of the announcement seems suspicious. Indeed, there
is little doubt that the Bush administration's well-documented opposition
to Mr. Cauchon's proposed reforms is influencing the Liberals' timetable --
especially since John Walters, the U.S. director of national drug policy,
has described Canada's drug problem as "out of control" and warned that
decriminalization will lead to lengthy border delays as officers search for
drugs.

There are many areas in which our government should do a better job of
working co-operatively with the United States to protect both countries'
interests. But the manner in which we treat pot smokers within our own
borders is not one of them. While Mr. Cauchon is correct to do the
Americans the courtesy of consulting with them, drug policy is a purely
domestic issue, and Canada is a sovereign nation.

Since it is in our interest to overhaul our obsolete marijuana policy, that
should be his primary concern.

Despite recent complaints from Washington, moreover, we would expect U.S.
officials to understand the desire for autonomy in such areas.

A far more serious border issue than the trafficking of marijuana, after
all, is the flow of handguns from their country into ours. Yet Canadians
are under no illusion that we can pressure Washington to change its overly
permissive gun laws -- despite police estimates suggesting that 75-90% of
illegal handguns confiscated in Canada originate in the United States, not
to mention a 50% increase in the number of weapons seized at Ontario border
crossings in 2002 compared with 2001. We agree the decriminalization of pot
may result in an uptick of exports to the United States. But with handgun
murders having increased by 100% in Canada over the past 15 years, there is
little doubt which cross-border issue deserves the most attention.

Marijuana is not a harmless drug: Like tobacco, it damages the lungs; and,
as with alcohol, chronic, irresponsible use can cause cognitive impairment.
But the war against marijuana causes many times more damage in Western
nations -- in the form of crime, violence, imprisonment and wasted police
resources -- than the drug itself inflicts on its users.

That is why this newspaper has long urged that Ottawa and Washington both
move toward a program of decriminalization. While the United States has the
sovereign right to pursue its failed "war on drugs" for as long as it
chooses, we would be alarmed if Washington's addiction to a failed policy
prevented reform here in Canada.