U.S. Braces for Wave of Pot Smuggling

Watcom County police expect a new wave of drug smuggling when Canada's
federal government decriminalizes pot this year.

Authorities stateside suspect the move - making personal pot
possession a misdemeanour - will lure Americans north to do their
deals. Blaine's deputy police chief said his members will likely have
their work cut out for them.

"It would be reasonable to anticipate (more smuggling) is going to
occur," Mike Haslip said. He urged Canadian lawmakers to think twice
about liberalizing pot laws.

"Ask yourself what you want your children and grandchildren to be
doing," he said. "What sort of statement do you want to make?"

Liberal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said that he plans to move
forward this year with plans to decriminalize marijuana.

A House of Commons committee also recommended people caught with 30
grams or less - enough to fill a small sandwich bag - face fines
rather than criminal prosecution.

Canadian Alliance MP Val Meredith (South Surrey-White Rock-Langley)
supports the move, if safeguards are in place.

She wants police to have the power to test drivers, as they do with
alcohol breath tests, and said only licensed vendors should be allowed
to sell pot.

The rule change wouldn't make it legal to carry pot, but it would
treat it more like a speeding ticket.

Meredith said current laws are too heavy-handed for a habit she likens
to alcohol use.

"If you're sitting at home and smoking a joint, that's your decision,"
the MP said. "People (smoking) at home aren't having a negative affect
on anybody but themselves (and) it's less dangerous to society than
somebody having five or six drinks and getting in their car and driving.

Meredith - who says she's never smoked pot - said 62 per cent of
respondents to a survey in her riding supported decriminalization of
personal pot.

That should come as little surprise stateside, where B.C. has the
dubious distinction as a dope haven.

"I look on it as the marijuana capital," said Haslip, who enforces
Washington's zero-tolerance drug policy, said.

Between November 2001 and October 2002, authorities made 169 seizures
and confiscated more than 3,500 kilograms of marijuana from U.S.-bound
travellers at Peace Arch and Pacific Highway border crossings.

"We impound hundreds of pounds of B.C. bud every year, there are armed
professional couriers running through backyards in the middle of the
night carrying duffel bags," Haslip said.

"We spend a lot of time in schools talking to and educating our kids
on the ramifications of falling victim to a sales pitch by drug runners."

Dep. Chief John Bates of the U.S. Border Patrol expects to see even
more if pot laws are relaxed in B.C.

"It could have an impact on apprehending more people with smaller
amounts," he said.

Typically, border guards are busy nabbing more serious drug runners,
not casual smokers with a few joints.

Workload is likely to increase if Canada's drug laws waft away.

"What we're more concerned with is the larger amount of marijuana, but
we're still going to stop any amount of illegal narcotic coming into
the United States," Bates said.