cannabisnews.com: Quebec Judge Calls Halt To Medicinal Pot Trial Quebec Judge Calls Halt To Medicinal Pot Trial Posted by CN Staff on December 19, 2002 at 14:58:14 PT By The Canadian Press Source: CTV Montreal — A judge has halted the drug-trafficking trial of two marijuana activists who were involved in a club that dispensed the drug for medical use. A lawyer who represented the federal government at the trial said Thursday's decision amounts to an acquittal for the accused. "When the judge orders a stay of proceedings, that is tantamount to an acquittal," Robert Marchi said in an interview. Marc-Boris Saint-Maurice, director of the Compassion Club, and Alexandre Neron, who worked at the club, were accused of possession of marijuana and trafficking the drug. The case was watched closely by pro-cannabis and law-enforcement groups because of its implications for the distribution of medicinal marijuana in Canada. Quebec court Judge Gilles Cadieux, who had postponed making a decision on the case about 10 times, said the absence of a legal source of marijuana takes away the right to life and liberty for those who need it. Cadieux also said he wouldn't rule on the constitutionality of marijuana laws. The Crown did not say if it will appeal Cadieux's decision. Saint-Maurice, who said the club reopened three weeks ago, called the judgment a victory. "The prohibition of marijuana for medical purposes is not constitutional," he said outside court. "It's a 64-page judgment, but my preliminary reaction is that we won our case on the level of constitutional arguments on the right to have access to medicinal marijuana. And that's what is important." However, Saint-Maurice noted that the scope of Cadieux's ruling is limited. "The court at this level can't make a judgment that will include all of Canada." Saint-Maurice and Neron were arrested in the fall of 2000 after police raided the club and seized 66 grams of marijuana. Neron said he will not go back to the Compassion Club. "I'm a little bit disappointed with the judgment because we have been working hard on this for three years since were were arrested. "We were waiting for something a little more. But like Pontius Pilate in the Bible, he (the judge) washed his hands and that's it, it's over." Similar clubs operate in other Canadian cities. Source: CTV (Canada)Published: December 19, 2002Copyright: 2002 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. Website: http://www.ctv.ca/Contact: newsonline ctv.ca Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Home Deliveryhttp://www.marijuanahomedelivery.caMontreal Compassion Clubhttp://www.blocpot.qc.ca/ccm/english.htmlOne-Click Marijuana Shopping for Sick Canadians http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15017.shtmlQuebec Judge Throws Out Pot Case http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15015.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #16 posted by BGreen on December 19, 2002 at 23:02:41 PT The Same To You and Your Family, FoM I love my family, but I pretty much have to keep my mouth shut to keep the peace. That's quite a challenge for a big mouth like me. LOL [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by FoM on December 19, 2002 at 22:42:53 PT BGreen Knowledge is power I agree. I haven't watched the news for days it seems. With dealing with my father in laws passing the news is too much to handle except about Cannabis and it's slow like it always is around the holidays. It will pick up in January I'm sure. It always has. I hope you have a Merry Christmas. We are going to my sister and her family's on Christmas Eve. This is the first year since the beginning of the 90s that we've been able to go away. It will be nice. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by BGreen on December 19, 2002 at 22:33:29 PT I'm Not Interested In Getting Credit I just want the people to get the information.My dad thinks he's got a thorough knowledge of this country and the world, but he gets all of his news from the local paper and the local news broadcast. He really doesn't have a CLUE about anything, but has a very solid opinion on everything.Those are the people the gov't is counting on. Cannabisnews.com is our way of fighting back.Knowledge is POWER! [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by FoM on December 19, 2002 at 22:28:52 PT BGreen Glad you are ok. We can battle the politics of the day but when it comes to Mother Nature we are at her mercy. We've been thru a few bad Hurricanes when we lived back in Pennsyvania but the Tornadoes that hit Ohio have so far bounced around us but we've had some terrible storms up here on this hill we live on. Trees protect us nicely though. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on December 19, 2002 at 22:24:38 PT BGreen Here It Is! I forgot to name you Newshawk. I'm sorry I forgot but I got it posted but I had to snip it.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread15019.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by BGreen on December 19, 2002 at 22:23:24 PT We Were Fortunate We had one of the storms spawn a tornado about 5 minutes after it passed over us. It's something we deal with here. One of the ladies that died west of Springfield woke up, hugged her husband and they told each other "I love you." The husband said he'd protect her, but he couldn't. It's such a sad story. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on December 19, 2002 at 22:04:48 PT BGreen I think I could post it if I put the rest on my personal page. Let me see what I can figure out. I was wondering if you dodged the really bad weather I saw on tv where you live. Glad to know you are ok. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by BGreen on December 19, 2002 at 21:52:17 PT FoM, Can You Find A Version We Can Post? This is from Canada.com, a source from which we can't post, but this is an important story.Here's the text from Pot-TV regarding this article:CANADIAN CANNABIS REFORM -- UP IN SMOKE?PRIME MINISTER RETREATS ON DECRIM AFTER THWARTING COURT CHALLENGEJean Chrétien retreated yesterday from the government's plans to decriminalize marijuana, contradicting Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, who said last week that he intended to introduce decriminalization legislation in the first four months of next year. Critics charge decrim announcement was never sincere and was issued to thwart the recent Supreme Court challenge to Canada's marijuana laws. Marijuana decision still up in air [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on December 19, 2002 at 20:16:32 PT mayan and p4me mayan I hope the show goes on tomorrow. They postponed it the last time it was scheduled. Let's hope they don't bump it again. p4me, I've always believed there is a difference between a non violent crime and a victimless crime. To my knowledge there are only three honestly victimless crimes. Drugs, prostitution and gambling. I think that's right.People that believe there are victims when people use drugs etc. could be right if the person has a family and upsets them by his or her use of drugs but I believe that is a family issue and families need to work hard to help each other if a person goes off the deep end but it shouldn't be a crime. That only compounds the problem. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by p4me on December 19, 2002 at 19:43:51 PT The question that comes to mind I am glad to hear that the removal of a liar like Walters is priority 1 with the MPP. He has to go and may he take the humiliation of his public service with him. If Walters and his policies as told by the plutocracy kill thousands of people doesn't that make them of a murderous conspiracy? I would like the journalist to ask this question for me although my opinion already says it is murder along with conspiracy to commit murder. The LA Times says Governor Davis expects a $34.8 billion dollar deficit. From http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-analysis19dec19,0,3718324.story?coll=la%2Dhome%2DheadlinesRather than downplaying the vastness of the budget gap, Davis announced three weeks before he was required to do so that he now expects the hole to be $34.8 billion.Don't you think they are going to have to cut prison spending? FoM, I am with you, people that were imprisoned for a crime without a victim, should be let loose first. And maybe the LA Times will tell us about someone that questions if they should have been imprisoned in the first place.The LA Times had a big list of numbers on the pill industry in the last day or so. There numbers in the $10 trillion dollar economy barely put them at 1% whereas Bill Moyers would hold to 2% of everything. It did verify Moyers' number of 600 pill company lobbyist.1 [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by mayan on December 19, 2002 at 18:52:30 PT Thanks ,GCW... That was a very enlightening link! Let's hope the Supreme Court does the right thing if Cauchon & Parliament fail to act. I sure hope they don't pass this potato around forever. Thanks for the info about Kampia being on the O'Reilly Factor tomorrow, FoM. I'll be sure to watch!The way out is the way in -FBI Agents Probing Terror Links Say They Were Told, ‘Let Sleeping Dogs Lie’: http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/primetime/DailyNews/FBI_whistleblowers021219.htmlTwo more cities could join 18 other municipalities in opposing the Patriot Act! http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/usapatriot_oakland021217.htmlThe 9/11 Conspiracy: http://members.aol.com/sneiracs/911.htmThe 9/11 Truth Movement - Selected Resources for Researchers and Activists: http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/LEV212A.html9/11 "Conspiracies" and the Defactualisation of Analysis: http://www.mediamonitors.net/mosaddeq37.html9/11 Skeptics Unite: http://www.osamaskidneys.com/links.htmlMore 9/11 Links: http://www.keystonereport.com/911.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on December 19, 2002 at 17:56:32 PT O'Reilly Factor - Dec. 20th - Rob Kampia - MPP Tomorrow, December 20, I am scheduled to appear on "The O'Reilly Factor" on the national FOX News Channel at approximately 8:20 p.m. Eastern time. (The program starts at 8:00 p.m. and is repeated at 11:00 p.m. Eastern; please check your local cable listings for channel and non-Eastern airtimes.)I will be discussing the Marijuana Policy Project's "war on drug czar," which we launched on December 4 at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. For details, please see: http://www.mpp.org/WarOnDrugCzar.html .In addition, tomorrow night I will announce new criminal charges that MPP will be seeking against the drug czar, in addition to those we already unveiled on December 4 -- one was filed with the federal Office of Special Counsel, the other with the Nevada Secretary of State's office.In the former complaint, we detailed how Drug Czar John Walters illegally used his title and office to campaign against our marijuana ballot initiative in Nevada. This complaint requests that Walters be removed from office, as well as disbarred from holding any federal office ever again.In the latter complaint, we noted that the drug czar failed to file any campaign finance reports whatsoever detailing the money that he spent opposing our ballot measure. As a result, we are asking the Nevada Secretary of State to fine him the maximum $5,000.Tomorrow night I will announce our third complaint.In January, we will be announcing the fourth prong of our attack against the drug czar. And a fifth attack -- and possibly a sixth -- will be announced after January.Drug Czar John Walters has been irresponsibly and illegally using his office to campaign against marijuana and other drug policy reform ballot initiatives, and we plan to take him down for it so that he -- or his successor if we succeed in removing him from office -- will be prevented from campaigning against any marijuana policy measures we launch in 2004.Sincerely,Rob KampiaExecutive DirectorMarijuana Policy ProjectWashington, D.C. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on December 19, 2002 at 15:51:05 PT Thanks The GCW! Never thought Cannabis could cause such a stir in the world. It still shocks me that it is even an issue anymore.I never thought in the late seventies that Cannabis wouldn't be legal by now. It was so close to happening back then. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by The GCW on December 19, 2002 at 15:32:12 PT Hot Potato? Canadian justice delayed http://www.hempbc.com/articles/2762.html Canada's Supreme Court puts off hearing major challenge to pot prohibition.And "Hot potato" is the subtitle of one of the article sections... [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on December 19, 2002 at 15:10:58 PT WolfgangWylde I never thought of Cannabis as being a hot potato but you sure are right. Quick pass it! I fear for the poor soul who must catch it next! Not really, just kidding. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by WolfgangWylde on December 19, 2002 at 15:07:01 PT One Big Game of Hot Potato Man, its hilarious watching the various facets of the Canadian legislature and judiciary passing the buck back and forth. They all seem to know the jig is up, but no one wants to be the one who makes the final cut. "The absence of a legal source takes away the right to life and liberty, but I won't rule on constitutionality." R-i-i-i-i-i-g-h-t. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment