cannabisnews.com: Raid Hurt The Sick: Pot Activist





Raid Hurt The Sick: Pot Activist
Posted by CN Staff on August 15, 2002 at 07:11:38 PT
By Jason Botchford, Toronto Sun
Source: Toronto Sun 
Warren Hitzig's dream of helping sick people officially ended yesterday when he was released from custody with the bail condition that he could no longer run his "compassion club" that openly sold pot. He was arrested with three others Tuesday night when police raided the Toronto Compassion Centre that had become a medicinal-marijuana haven for more than 1,200 sick and terminally ill clients. 
In 1998, Hitzig began his operations when he was among eight southern Ontario club operators who publicly announced they were starting to sell pot to people with AIDS, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and other ailments. The operation that started on his skateboard, so he could deliver the goods, ended at gunpoint during a nighttime raid Tuesday. "It was terrifying ... it was hell," Hitzig said yesterday after leaving court. "I've never been in a fight, never stolen anything, never kidnapped anyone, and here I was treated like someone who did something terrible." TIMING AN ISSUE  But why would the cops choose now to bust up an operation they knew about for years? Those in the marijuana movement believe it began when the Toronto club was robbed last December. When police arrived at the crime scene after being called by staff, they found not just ounces of pot set aside in bags for sick people but kilos of marijuana stuffed in garbage bags. GROUP IS SUING  "It's an amount that should never have been there," said lawyer Alan Young, who was at the scene and often represents medicinal marijuana users. "It was an amount that was hard for the police to ignore." Young also believes the bust was politically motivated, stemming from the lawsuit he launched in May against the federal government for a group of eight people. The group, including seizure and chronic pain sufferers, are suing because they say it's impossible to get safe, affordable marijuana for treatment. "The arrests are part of a political move to discredit the whole marijuana movement," Young said. Police Chief Julian Fantino said: "We deal with criminal offences for what they are." Along with Hitzig, Zachary Naftolin, 24, Andrea Horning, 40, and Markos Koutoukis, 25, were charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. All four were released on bail. Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)Author: Jason Botchford, Toronto SunPublished: Thursday, August 15, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: editor sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyitoronto.com/torsun.shtmlRelated Article & Web Site:Toronto Compassion Centre http://www.torontocompassioncentre.org/`Medicine' Seized in Bust of Pot Club http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13744.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #2 posted by p4me on August 15, 2002 at 09:04:11 PT
The forces of darkness cast their cloak
Frankly, I think the jig is up on the murderous MMJ policy being pushed by the DEAth. They are closing a coffeeshop in London that has operated for about 5 years that we have never even heard of.The following post by ninorc is copied from the DE messageboard: http://212.129.240.114/upload/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3733
"joints out at cafe cairo""Word in the pub is that Dave, of Cafe Cairo, has been ordered to stop letting people smoke pot on his premises in Landor Road, down Brixton way. Seems Dave spoke to a journalist from The Independent a couple of weeks ago. Nothing unusual about that: over five years, Cafe Cairo has become famous for its policy of permitting cannabis to be openly smoked and Dave has been interviewed hundreds of times. He explained that he doesn't sell cannabis, but pointed out that the rather obviously-named Greenleaf mini market next door turns over twenty grand a week and their phat profits ain't derived from sales of dog food. Couple of days after the piece appears, Dave receives a polite but firm letter from the local constabulary informing him that they can no longer tolerate cannabis and advising him that they'll be coming round next week to ensure that there is none at Cafe Cairo. Dave's written letters and had consultations. It's over. Cafe Cairo will be hosting film nights and private parties from now on. They're going to get into merchandising CDs and t.shirts. But they're not going to allow folks to sit around getting high anymore."
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Comment #1 posted by VitaminT on August 15, 2002 at 07:50:04 PT
Time's up Canada!
The court gave you a year to get your SHIT together and now your idiotic Marijuana laws are UNCONSTITUTIONAL and the whole country knows it!Police Chief Julian Fantino said: "We deal with criminal offences for what they are."So arrest yourself for terrorism and throw yourself in prison before you commit any further acts of repression against peaceful people!
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