U.S. DRUG CHIEF CALLS FOR TOUGHER STANCE AGAINST MARIJUANA

QUEBEC - Canada can have a medicinal marijuana program, but the U.S.
government believes the drug is dangerous and addictive, the United
States' drug policy chief said Wednesday.

John Walters told scientists attending a convention on drug dependency
in Quebec City that addiction rates for marijuana are rising in the
U.S.

"People my age - baby-boomers who have children - do not believe
that's possible," Walters said. "They went to college, they watched
movies like Reefer Madness, they had friends who experimented and they
do not believe that you can have a dependency on marijuana."

"We have research that suggests otherwise."

He added that of the 4.3 million Americans drug addicts, 65 per cent
are dependent on marijuana.

The Marijuana Party is worried Walter is trying to dictate marijuana
policy in Canada, where the federal government has taken a more
liberal approach to the drug.

"We are happy to have Americans come and spend their hard-earned money
in Canada as tourists, but we would hope that they check their
policies, guns and other dangerous materials at the border," said
Marijuana Party leader Marc-Boris St-Maurice.

Patients with HIV, cancer and multiple sclerosis can apply for
clearance from Ottawa to smoke marijuana for pain relief. More than
200 Canadians have the clearance.

Walters said he won't interfere with Canadian drug policy, but he
doesn't want it to lead to drugs moving across the border.