CANADA'S PENDING DRUG LAW IRKS U.S.

Decriminalization Of Marijuana Likely To Strain Relations, White House Says

Justice Minister Martin Cauchon says he has not consulted his American
counterparts on his plans to relax Canada's marijuana laws -- prompting a
warning from a White House official that sidelining the U.S. could become
another irritant in relations between the federal government and Washington.

Failure to talk to the Americans about pending marijuana laws is akin to
Canada unilaterally setting up "open-air toxic waste sites"along the
border, said Tom Riley, public affairs director for the White House office
of drug control policy.

"I think there is a bit of an analog here," said Mr. Riley, repeating U.S.
drug czar John Walters' assertion that eased drug laws will trigger tighter
security checks for Canadians who cross the border.

Mr. Cauchon intends to introduce legislation late this spring to
decriminalize possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana, the equivalent
of about 25 cigarettes. People caught with small amounts would be punished
with a fine rather than a criminal record.

Decriminalization will be yet another sore point in already fragile
Canada-U.S. relations, predicted Chris Sands, a Canadian expert with the
Center for International and Strategic Studies in Washington.

"I know that Canadian politicians think this shouldn't be turned into such
a big deal, but there is no room for persuasion down here and I think it's
going to be very damaging if Canada chooses to go ahead.

"My guess is they'll decriminalize, start paying the price and then
consult, which is the worst way to do things. It is better to consult
before than after a tragedy."

Mr. Cauchon said that he has not talked to the Americans about his plans,
nor would he confirm whether they would be among the stakeholders who will
be asked for input after he tables his bill.

"We haven't talked to the Americans so far," he said. "We may be talking to
the Americans after we have made up our mind as regard to the policy. My
primary goal here -- I'm minister of justice for Canada -- is to make sure
we are going to have a good policy here in Canada, for Canadians."

But he said he wants to send a message to the U.S. that marijuana will
still be illegal in Canada and that police will be instructed to be
vigilant in enforcing the law.

Mike Murphy, a spokesman for Mr. Cauchon, said there have been lower-level
consultations among bureaucrats in the U.S. and Canada, but he would give
no further details. He added that Canada should be free to make its own
laws and does not intend to back down to satisfy the U.S.

While Mr. Sands agreed that the U.S. should not be able to dictate Canadian
law, he said that high-level consultations would be useful so that Canadian
politicians could get a better picture of how "uptight" the U.S. is about
softening drug laws.

"I know most Canadians think of it has a happy, happy, hippie, free-love
issue, but it's really an indictment against Canadian law enforcement that
is going to be hard to shake if you go forward with it," Mr. Sands said.

"Any consultation that helps drill that in with Canadian government
officials is helpful."

The U.S. is particularly concerned because of the growing presence of
potent B.C. bud, which landed Canada for the first time this year on a list
of drug countries that U.S. President George W. Bush sent to Congress in
January.

"I think a lot of eyebrows were raised about Canada being on a list with
Columbia and Guatemala and Mexico and Haiti and countries like that," said
Mr. Riley.

Mr. Sands had grim predictions for how U.S. law enforcement officials will
treat Canadians after Canada softens its drug laws.

"What I think will probably start happening is they'll demand a list of
everybody who is not arrested for marijuana possession but is found in
possession of marijuana by the cops and they'll want to have that as part
of the record when your passport is scanned," he said.

"There will be another whole category of Canadians who have diminished
access to the United States."