cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Activist Says He'll Take Crusade To Jail Marijuana Activist Says He'll Take Crusade To Jail Posted by FoM on January 21, 2001 at 17:38:36 PT By Carol Harrington Source: Calgary Herald Some criminals devise creative ways to smuggle drugs into prison, but not Grant Krieger. The multiple sclerosis sufferer plans to pack a bag with marijuana Monday, hop on a Calgary transit bus to the police station and go to jail for not paying fines. Armed with a judge's recent decision allowing him to grow and cultivate marijuana for medical purposes, Krieger believes it's his right to bring his own brand of "medicine" to prison. "The judge didn't tell me I'm not able to possess marijuana in jail," Krieger, 46, said. "I'll smoke it in my cell." But Alberta Justice officials said there's no way Krieger will be allowed to have cannabis in jail. "It would certainly be confiscated," said Alberta Justice spokesman Bart Johnson. "We have our own guidelines, policies of what is considered contraband and what is not, and marijuana clearly falls within the category that is considered contraband." Calgary lawyer Adriano Iovinelli, who has defended Krieger in court dozens of times, said the judge's ruling does not permit him to bring it to many places, including prison. "A judge's order would not supersede the regulations of an institution," Iovinelli said. "For example, he has the right to cultivate and possess but if he goes into the United States he cannot bring his medicine there." The lawyer pointed out prisoners can't bring their own tobacco to prison. They have to buy it from the canteen. Last month, Krieger won a landmark court ruling allowing him to grow and possess pot to alleviate the pain he suffers from multiple sclerosis. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Darlene Acton said a federal act that exempts medically ill Canadians from a criminal drug charge is absurd because there isn't a legal marijuana supply. The province is appealing the decision. Krieger maintains eating and smoking marijuana helps control the symptoms of his multiple sclerosis, a progressive, chronic disease of the nervous system that can cause tremors, paralysis and speech defects. Last October, Krieger was fined $350 and $850 for twice breaching probation orders. A provincial court judge gave Krieger until Monday to pay the $350 fine. Krieger said he has no intention of paying and prefers to serve jail time, which will likely amount to 22 days for both fines. It's not the first time Krieger has gone to prison. He was jailed for 16 days in 1999 when he refused to pay fines for growing and supplying marijuana to other sick and dying people who are members of his Universal Compassion Club. After a week in jail without marijuana, Krieger became so weak he needed a wheelchair to get around. He has been to court more than 30 times in his fight to legally grow, smoke, eat and supply marijuana for medicinal purposes. Provincial officials question Krieger's motives in bringing to jail more than 100 grams of pot - more than 200 marijuana cigarettes. "It sounds a bit like a stunt," Johnson said. "Why is he not paying the fine?" Krieger plans to turn himself over to authorities around noon Monday. Note: "The judge didn't tell me I'm not able to possess marijuana in jail," Krieger, 46, said. "I'll smoke it in my cell."Complete Title: Marijuana Activist Says He'll Take Crusade and Bag of Pot to Cgy JailSource: Calgary Herald (CN AB)Author: Carol HarringtonPublished: January 21, 2001Fax: (403) 235-7379Copyright: 2001 Calgary HeraldAddress: P.O. Box 2400, Stn. MCalgary, Alberta T2P 0W8Contact: letters theherald.southam.caForum: http://forums.canada.com/~calgaryWeb Site: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Party of Canadahttp://www.marijuanaparty.orgCannabis Link Directoryhttp://drugsense.org/tcl/links.htmlA Pot-ty Decision!http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8274.shtmlActivist Can Grow Own Medicinal Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/7/thread7982.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by Dan B on January 22, 2001 at 17:32:08 PT: Poll Update: "No" on the increase : ( Here is the latest from the poll Symmetric graciously provided a link to:Total Votes for this Question: 933 So far, 37% have voted for YesSo far, 47% have voted for NoSo far, 3% have voted for Don't KnowSo far, 13% have voted for Don't CareLet's get out the vote, y'all.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Symmetric on January 22, 2001 at 12:38:42 PT: sorry, doesn't like html just go here:http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSLaw/home.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Symmetric on January 22, 2001 at 12:37:35 PT: poll alert There is a poll about this story ">http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSLaw/home.html"> here .Should Grant Krieger be allowed to smoke pot in jail?Total Votes for this Question: 176 So far, 44% have voted for YesSo far, 42% have voted for NoSo far, 1% have voted for Don't KnowSo far, 13% have voted for Don't Care [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Robbie on January 22, 2001 at 08:15:37 PT Krieger's Crusade Kudos and "more power to ya!" to Grant Krieger. JRBD is right...why should he pay a fine? His incarceration should tell anybody with an ear that he doesn't believe in the laws against cannabis. And his convictions should send a message to everyone else. "I'm sick and I believe in marijuana." It's coming for him soon though. The Canadian courts said that the gov't had to prove to them that pot was harmful or they'd get rid of the laws... That's coming soon!Another thing, it's unbelieveable that prison officials would not want pot in prison. Maybe 1 in 1000 becomes violent while high (people have made this claim to me that some people get violent when stoned, but it's probably with plenty of alcohol.) The others? Placid, relaxed, non-violent, untroubling...a bunch of nursery school kids tripping on daisies. What could be more desireable for a prison guard? [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by J.R. Bob Dobbs on January 22, 2001 at 05:10:58 PT Jail - Marijuana's Only Bad Effect >>"It sounds a bit like a stunt," Johnson said. "Why is he not paying the fine?" Out of principle, so that he won't be funding his persecutors. You're the ones who gave him another option, and he's taking it. I applaud Grant and hope his brief incarceration is as pleasant as possible. >>The lawyer pointed out prisoners can't bring their own tobacco to prison. They have to buy it from the canteen. They don't HAVE to buy it from the canteen - they could smuggle it in if the motivation was there. If the canteen ran out, I bet some people would still be able to get tobacco. But because they don't HAVE to smuggle it in, they probably almost never do. And if the law allowed Grant to buy cannabis at the canteen, we wouldn't be having this debate, would we? Remember, Grant has to bring it in himself, or they could charge whoever brings it to him with Trafficking. I can't help but wonder, though, if this would all be a little less controversial if Grant were to bring it in already cooked into food of some sort. (Or does his medical condition require smoking?) I can imagine The Law's worrying that the sweet smell of doobie vapor wafting around a correctional institution might provoke... something. (A round of applause for an infirm trailblazer, perhaps?) Bringing it in in food form, covertly, only telling whoever's necessary, might be the path of least resistance - in this instance. But Grant is apparently determined to be as overt about all this as possible, in the name of The Movement. Right on. http://www.pot-tv.net/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by sm247 on January 22, 2001 at 05:04:39 PT Relocate !! Maybe I should move to Canada why not I think Bill did [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by NiftySplifty on January 21, 2001 at 19:47:16 PT How ridiculous of them... I'm surprised the penal system doesn't consider wheelchairs to be some sort of weapon, and therefore contraband. To all of us that know Cannabis is an herb/plant that has healing properties, all this sounds so absolutely silly. It's funny they allow cigarettes, which will ultimately kill you, but not something that might keep you from dying. Now that I think about it, that's perfectly in line with their idiotic/sadistic mentality.Nifty... [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Symmetric on January 21, 2001 at 19:46:02 PT: Krieger I wonder how this decision by a BC Appeal court will affect Krieger's case..POT IN JAIL NOT HARMFUL, JUDGE SAYS Sentence Reduced For Man Who Smuggled Marijuana Into Prison There is nothing to suggest that marijuana inside prisons causes any particular harm, a B.C. Appeal court judge noted Thursday. In ruling to reduce the sentence of a Vancouver area man caught smuggling a half-ounce of marijuana to a friend inside a Fraser Valley prison, Justice Mary Southin decided to allow the appeal of Paul Scott Charlish and reduce his six-month jail sentence to a four-month conditional sentence, to be served in the community. "The learned [trial] judge rested on deterrence, but there is nothing in the record that visitors are frequently taking or attempting to take marijuana into prisons, for that matter, if marijuana is getting into prisons, that any particular harm thereby results," Southin noted in written reasons for judgement released this week. Southin said it was a non-violent crime and felt "more harm than good will be done to this applicant by locking him up. On the material before the Court, I doubt that he will ever again be so foolish as to do what he did on the occasion in question." Charlish, 31, was charged with trafficking marijuana after he was caught on Aug. 11, 1998, passing 14 grams of pot to his friend, Curtis Bradley Rabochenko, a prisoner of Matsqui Institution in Abbotsford serving a two-year sentence for a robbery conviction. "There is no evidence that this was a commercial transaction," Southin noted. "I proceed on the footing the marijuana was a gift." She added: "I infer that the accused committed this offence because he believes there is some merit in the old adage that a friend in need is a friend indeed." Charlish had no previous criminal record, works full-time and had been a friend of Rabochenko since before high school. The incident occurred in the visitor's room of the prison. The Crown prosecutor in the case had asked for a three-month sentence but the trial judge felt that would be inadequate, so imposed a six-month jail sentence with a recommendation that it be served on electronic monitoring. Southin also suggested judges should stop making such recommendations because they have no statutory authority to do so. "While I should like to think that those in charge of classification respect judicial recommendations, I am doubtful about the worth of such recommendations because if the recommendation is not honoured, not only will a prisoner have a legitimate sense of grievance, but also the judicial office is demeaned." - Vancouver Sun [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: