CHANGE TO POT LAW ALARMS MP

Drugs: Randy White backs U.S. special government assistant David Murray,
who claims decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana will
create border problems

OTTAWA -- The federal government is blindly moving to decriminalize pot and
approve safe injection sites despite obvious signs that the measures will
worsen Canada's drug problem and infuriate the U.S. government, Canadian
Alliance MP Randy White warned Friday.

However, Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell, who was Ottawa this week, said he
heard nothing but encouragement for the injection sites and other
approaches to drug use.

White, a member of the special parliamentary committee that recently
studied Canada's drug laws, agreed with a senior U.S. government drug
official who has warned of border hassles if Canadian laws are liberalized.

"This whole thing is going faster than the Canadian government even
understands," White (Langley-Abbotsford) said. "And the Americans are
looking at this and saying, 'My God, what have we got here?' We've got safe
injection sites -- to them that's outright legalization. You've got
[marijuana] decriminalization."

White backed David Murray, special assistant in the U.S. government's
Office of National Drug Control Policy, who warned of border problems while
in Vancouver this week to discuss Canada's push to liberalize drug laws.

Murray said Canada is on a "slippery slope" track that will make the
country a haven for drug dealers and a greater threat to a U.S. government
waging the so-called war on drugs.

"I believe the Americans are going to institute sanctions on us," White
said. "It will be harder to get in across the States, and yeah, don't look
to them to give us a break on ... any kind of trade issue."

White said Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said Canadians will suffer
because the government is undisciplined, reckless and scrambling for
"legacy" announcements during Prime Minister Jean Chretien's final year in
power.

"My whole concern on the drug issue is that they're turning on the green
light but they don't know where they're headed."

The federal government, for instance, hasn't tackled the question of how
police will deal with stoned drivers.

White also said he's convinced decriminalization will lead ultimately to
legalization, since some pot activists have vowed not to pay fines, forcing
judges to deal with the legalization issue. If the government sets the
legal limit at 30 grams, "what are they going to do in the courtroom" if
someone is charged with possession of 35 grams?

Cauchon has promised to table legislation next month that would
decriminalize possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana, which would net
a simple fine.

The federal government has also agreed to run trial safe injection sites in
several Canadian cities. Advocates call the approach "harm reduction"
because it lessens the number of overdoses, deadly infections, and deaths.
White labelled the approach "harm extension," saying it abandons the focus
on getting people off their addictions.

Campbell was in Ottawa this week to meet with ministers and health
officials about his plan to open an injection site in Vancouver within
three months.

"The Solicitor-General [Wayne Easter] is extremely supportive. He's been
out here and he recognizes our problems," said Campbell, who also met with
Finance Minister John Manley, the prime minister's political adviser, Eddie
Goldenberg, Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson, Industry Minister Allan
Rock, Immigration Minister Denis Coderre, senior health officials, and the
NDP caucus.

Campbell said everything is on track with the Vancouver Coastal Health
Authority's application for an exemption from Health Canada to operate an
injection site. It will likely be delayed up to three weeks past the 60
days since the application went in March 7, he said, because the authority
had trouble getting in the required scientific evaluation and ethical
review material while it was dealing with the SARS outbreak.

Campbell said the city is ready to issue a development permit next week for
a site on the 100-block of East Hastings and the authority can begin
renovations, which will take about three months. The occupancy permit will
be issued after the authority has received approval from Health Canada, he
said.

Canada's and Vancouver's drug policies are receiving more attention from
the American media. An April 1 article in the Wall Street Journal quoted
U.S. drug czar John Walters as saying Vancouver's plan to open injection
sites will encourage heroin addiction. He called the sites "state-sponsored
personal suicide," and expressed concerns about Canada's "becoming a major
drug producer." That article prompted the Los Angeles Times and 60 Minutes
to start making calls to Vancouver, along with a other American stations.

Premier Gordon Campbell emphasized Friday that B.C. and Canada will always
work cooperatively with the U.S. government on stopping illegal drugs at
the border.

"We all want to stop illicit drugs, we all want to make sure we're dealing
with these things in a thoughtful and productive and results-oriented way,"
he said. "Clearly if the message being sent to Canada is: 'We're concerned
about this,' then the Canadian government has a responsibility to work with
the American government so we don't, in fact, do significant economic
damage or social damage to Canada."

Campbell also praised the way U.S. and Canadian police have worked together
on trafficking issues "in a very sophisticated, highly organized, highly
technical manner.

"We're going to have to coordinate and cooperate and use all of the tools
available to us if we're going to succeed."