CANADIAN DEFLECTS DRUG-PLAN FEARS

OLYMPIA -- Canada's immigration minister met with Gov. Gary Locke yesterday
and downplayed the possibility that his country's plan to decriminalize
marijuana could lead to a border crackdown by the United States.

John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy, has warned that such a Canadian move might prompt long border delays.

That's a concern for Washington and other border states, where millions of
dollars in trade and tourism flow across the U.S.-Canada border every day.

But Denis Coderre, Canada's minister of citizenship and immigration,
predicted U.S. fears would be allayed as officials learn more about the
plan. "We can agree to disagree sometimes, but we are the most natural
allies and friends," he said. "Marijuana is illegal in our country. We're
changing the penalties."

The Canadian government is expected to introduce legislation soon that
would replace jail terms and criminal records with small fines for
possession of less than half an ounce of marijuana.

U.S. officials fear the proposal, if passed, will result in more of the
drug crossing the border. They say it will bring tighter security measures,
more inspections and longer traffic tie-ups as well as disrupt daily trade
between the countries.

Locke said he and Coderre talked mostly about balancing border safety
against the free flow of people and goods.