CANADIAN POT PLAN A TRADE RISK

TORONTO - American officials say they may be forced to slow trade
drastically across the northern border if the Canadian government relaxes
its marijuana laws. Top Storie The changes being considered by Prime
Minister Jean Chretien's government would make the penalty for getting
caught with a joint similar to a traffic ticket.

In contrast, the zero-tolerance policy of the United States makes
possession of even small amounts of the drug illegal.

U.S. drug policy officials say decriminalizing marijuana in Canada will
increase drug use in America and trafficking by organized crime elements on
both sides of the border. Washington would respond with tighter border
checks, which could hinder trade crucial to the Canadian economy.

"We intend to protect our citizens. We would have no choice," said John P.
Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Decriminalization north of the border will create new headaches for the
United States, said Rep. Mark Souder, Indiana Republican and chairman of
the Government Reform subcommittee on criminal justice, drug policy and
human resources.

"We're still finding it hard to believe this could actually happen," he
said, but if it does, tougher border security would follow.

"Probably it would be some sort of change in, at the very least, spot
checking, more aggressive checking, possibly background checking" of trucks
and other vehicles crossing the border, he said. "Hopefully we could do it
with not too much disruption, but there would be changes."

The issue joins a growing list of differences between the North American
neighbors that share the world's largest trade partnership, worth more than
$1 billion a day.

Despite their military ties and common democratic values, Canada
traditionally has adopted more liberal social policies. Examples include
diplomatic ties with Cuba, a ban on capital punishment and more lenient
immigration policies.

Canada has a legal industry for hemp, marijuana cultivated with low amounts
of the chemical that produces the high sought by smokers. The U.S.
government prohibits hemp production.

Last year, Canada implemented a medical marijuana program that allows some
patients to possess and grow pot. The Canadian Supreme Court will hear a
constitutional challenge to marijuana laws this fall, and a Senate
committee has called for the complete legalization of pot - a much more
radical step than decriminalization.

Eight U.S. states - California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine,
Nevada and Colorado - have taken some kind of action toward permitting the
medicinal use of marijuana. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, has ruled
there is no exception in federal law for people to use marijuana, so even
those with tolerant state laws could face arrest if they do.

Canada is a major source of marijuana for Americans, with hundreds of
millions of dollars worth of dope with names like "B.C. bud" and "Quebec
gold" smuggled in sod trucks, hockey-equipment bags and other items.