ATLANTA – About a dozen states said Thursday they are exploring ways to buy cheap prescription drugs from Canada and make them widely available to Americans, even though importing the medicines is illegal.

Representatives from the states met with five Canadian drug companies at an Atlanta hotel Thursday to hear their pitch on how to sell the drugs safely and within the law.

The meeting comes a day after officials in Boston and New Hampshire announced their intention to purchase drugs from Canada.

The Canadian drug companies told state officials they could offer dozens of drugs for as much as 40 percent to 60 percent less than they cost in the United States. Drugs in Canada are significantly cheaper because of government price controls.

“Drugs are cheaper in Canada – how do we bring these drugs into the states?” said Tom Susman, acting administration secretary for West Virginia. “If they work better, and the cost is cheaper, I think it’s legitimate.”

The Food and Drug Administration says it cannot guarantee the safety of imported medicines and has warned states about violating the law.

Only pharmaceutical companies are allowed to bring their drugs back into the United States. Canadian drug companies currently sell drugs to thousands of individual Americans, but federal regulators have chosen not to prosecute the individuals.

Numerous pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co., have tried to stop the flow of drugs from Canada into the United States by limiting the amount of medicines they sell north of the border.

The states considering ways to bring in Canadian drugs include Illinois, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, Vermont, Ohio, Delaware and Louisiana. They are looking north of the border to buy prescription drugs for their own employees and for people who are on Medicaid or other assistance programs.

Supporters of the idea charge that the FDA, the Bush administration and some influential lawmakers who are trying to undermine such efforts are being swayed by the politically powerful drug manufacturers.