MARIJUANA LAW IN CANADA COULD BRING PROBLEMS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. officials, already concerned about illegal drugs
coming across the Canadian border, are warning that a Canadian plan to
decriminalize marijuana use could lead to more inspections and long border
delays.

''We don't want the northern border to be a trafficking route for drugs,''
said Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security
for the Department of Homeland Security.

Hutchinson and other U.S. officials say the Canadian proposal is especially
troublesome, considering how drug seizures along the vast northern border
soared following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- in part because
of heightened security. The amount of marijuana seized from Canada
quadrupled in the year after the attacks.

If Canada approves a plan to decriminalize marijuana for personal use, U.S.
officials fear drug smuggling could spike, further burdening the justice
system and hindering trade. More vehicles may be stopped and searched at
checkpoints along the 4,000-mile border, slowing movement of the $1 billion
worth of goods traded between the two countries each day.