Pubdate: Fri, 19 Sep 2003
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2003, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.fyiedmonton.com/htdocs/edmsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Canadian Press

B.C. GOVT. APPEALING POT RULING

VANCOUVER -- A B.C. provincial court judge's ruling that the law governing 
marijuana possession is invalid will be appealed, a spokesman for the 
federal Justice Department said yesterday.

A notice to appeal has been filed, said Lyse Cantin, spokesman for the 
department's B.C. region.

Police and the B.C. solicitor general were quick to insist earlier this 
week the ruling does not make marijuana possession legal and is not binding 
on other judges.

Ironically, the appeal was celebrated by the B.C. Marijuana Party.

"That's a good thing for everyone, I would think," said spokesman Marc 
Emery, who was planning a pot-smoking protest outside Vancouver police 
headquarters yesterday.

"It'll be appealed to B.C. Supreme Court and they'll rule in the favour of 
the judge," he predicted, calling the Sept. 4 ruling "iron-clad."

"They're not going to come to a different decision and that will be binding 
on all the judges in B.C., so that's good."

Emery said his group will continue to pass out copies of the ruling.

"Marijuana possession is legal in B.C., absolutely," he said. "We're 
telling everybody."

Recent court decisions in Ontario have struck down laws that made simple 
possession of cannabis a criminal offence.
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