ASK WASHINGTON FIRST

Prime Minister Jean Chretien's announcement in Ottawa last week that he
plans to decriminalize marijuana did not set the Canadian capital on its
ear. That mild proposal has been aired before. and the reviews are
generally mixed but ho-hum.

In Washington, however, the Chretien announcement is being seen as a direct
affront to the administration of President George Bush. It is as if the
Canadian prime minister was expected to pre-clear any such policy
initiatives with his betters in the U.S. capital. In particular, Chretien
is now being held responsible for raising the hackles of John Walters,
Bush's drug czar.

Walters was livid last week. He has accused Ottawa of allowing "poison" to
be shipped to his country. "You expect your friends to stop the movement of
poison to your neighbourhood," he said. "And that is what's going on here.
If we were sending toxic substances to your young people, you would be and
should be upset."

In fact, pot decriminalization does not involve the legalization of
anything, much less does it encourage the exporting of poisons. It does not
permit trafficking. It merely -- sensibly -- lets police issue tickets for
people who are caught with small amounts of marijuana in their possession.

Similar legislation is in effect in 14 U.S. states. So why is Walters so
upset? Perhaps, as Deputy Prime Minister suggests, he doesn't understand
the Canadian government's intent.

Then again, perhaps he merely wants to pull the strings.