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The420Guy
Guest
Vancouver man lights up outside police building during cross-country tour
A self-proclaimed crusader for legalizing marijuana had to cut short his summer
tour plans yesterday after he was arrested for smoking pot on the Main Street
steps of the Codiac Regional RCMP Moncton detachment.
A second individual believed to be from the Moncton region was arrested when he
also proceeded to "toke up" in front of police.
Marc Emery and his girlfriend, Cheryl Redick, both of Vancouver, held a protest
in front of the police station yesterday afternoon, drawing media attention and
interested spectators to the cause he has been promoting in his Summer of
Legalization Tour.
Emery, wearing a dark suit and well-groomed, told his listeners that he is
crossing Canada telling law enforcement people and the general public that
simple possession and use of marijuana is no longer a criminal offence as a
result of a ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal three years ago this month.
The Ontario high court ruling allowing smoking for medicinal purposes set the
wheels in motion. The court put the federal government on notice to amend the
existing legislation within a year or the offence of possession would become
null and void in Ontario. No action was taken by the federal government at that
time.
Emery is convinced the ruling means that no one can be prosecuted for
possessing
and smoking marijuana in Canada.
Emery was in Halifax Saturday as part of his grassroots campaign and smoked
marijuana in front of the metro police station without being arrested, he said.
"I've only been arrested twice, in Winnipeg and Regina," for smoking marijuana,
he told the approximately 40 people in attendance.
Emery and Redick planned to take their crusade to Charlottetown today until
Emery's arrest by RCMP Cpl. Reg Smith.
Redick did not smoke any marijuana and was not arrested.
A young man standing nearby also lit up and was also arrested. However, friends
of his said he has permission from the medical faculty to smoke marijuana to
relieve chronic illness. The federal government recently amended legislation to
allow smoking of the substance for medical reasons in certain cases and
conditions.
Emery said thousands of people, many of them young adults, have been charged
with simple possession since the Ontario high court ruling three years ago and
that it was the duty of the courts across the country to strike down those
criminal convictions which can greatly affect a person's future.
Being thrown into jail away from family and future has a far more devastating
effect than smoking pot, he said.
- --
DrugRadio: Salvaging Electrons
Source: Times & Transcript (Moncton CN NK)
Contact tteditor@timestranscript.com
Website: CanadaEast | Classifieds
Feedback: Telegraph-Journal | TJ.news
Address: The Times & Transcript, Box 1001, Moncton, NB E1C 8P3
Copyright: 2003 New Brunswick Publishing Company
Webpage:
A self-proclaimed crusader for legalizing marijuana had to cut short his summer
tour plans yesterday after he was arrested for smoking pot on the Main Street
steps of the Codiac Regional RCMP Moncton detachment.
A second individual believed to be from the Moncton region was arrested when he
also proceeded to "toke up" in front of police.
Marc Emery and his girlfriend, Cheryl Redick, both of Vancouver, held a protest
in front of the police station yesterday afternoon, drawing media attention and
interested spectators to the cause he has been promoting in his Summer of
Legalization Tour.
Emery, wearing a dark suit and well-groomed, told his listeners that he is
crossing Canada telling law enforcement people and the general public that
simple possession and use of marijuana is no longer a criminal offence as a
result of a ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal three years ago this month.
The Ontario high court ruling allowing smoking for medicinal purposes set the
wheels in motion. The court put the federal government on notice to amend the
existing legislation within a year or the offence of possession would become
null and void in Ontario. No action was taken by the federal government at that
time.
Emery is convinced the ruling means that no one can be prosecuted for
possessing
and smoking marijuana in Canada.
Emery was in Halifax Saturday as part of his grassroots campaign and smoked
marijuana in front of the metro police station without being arrested, he said.
"I've only been arrested twice, in Winnipeg and Regina," for smoking marijuana,
he told the approximately 40 people in attendance.
Emery and Redick planned to take their crusade to Charlottetown today until
Emery's arrest by RCMP Cpl. Reg Smith.
Redick did not smoke any marijuana and was not arrested.
A young man standing nearby also lit up and was also arrested. However, friends
of his said he has permission from the medical faculty to smoke marijuana to
relieve chronic illness. The federal government recently amended legislation to
allow smoking of the substance for medical reasons in certain cases and
conditions.
Emery said thousands of people, many of them young adults, have been charged
with simple possession since the Ontario high court ruling three years ago and
that it was the duty of the courts across the country to strike down those
criminal convictions which can greatly affect a person's future.
Being thrown into jail away from family and future has a far more devastating
effect than smoking pot, he said.
- --
DrugRadio: Salvaging Electrons
Source: Times & Transcript (Moncton CN NK)
Contact tteditor@timestranscript.com
Website: CanadaEast | Classifieds
Feedback: Telegraph-Journal | TJ.news
Address: The Times & Transcript, Box 1001, Moncton, NB E1C 8P3
Copyright: 2003 New Brunswick Publishing Company
Webpage: