Pubdate: Thu, 03 Feb 2005
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Canadian Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

MEDICAL-MARIJUANA ACTIVIST FINED $500 FOR LIGHTING UP FIVE JOINTS AT 
PRO-POT RALLY

VICTORIA - A medical-marijuana activist was fined $500 Wednesday for 
lighting up five joints at a pro-pot rally.

Leon Edward (Ted) Smith, 35, was found guilty of marijuana trafficking 
after he lit up five marijuana joints at the rally at the University of 
Victoria in November 2000.

A provincial court judge rejected Smith's arguments that he had a 
constitutional right to smoke marijuana.

"His behaviour could only be described as poking his finger in the eye of 
the law," said Judge Judith Kay. "What Mr. Smith was doing was illegal. 
What Mr. Smith was doing is trafficking."

Smith spoke to about 40 people at the rally. He talked about the benefits 
of marijuana and his objections to the law prohibiting it, then lit up five 
joints and passed them out to the crowd.

After the rally, plainclothes officers who had stood in the crowd moved in 
and arrested Smith, a former Victoria mayoral candidate and one-time 
university rugby player in Ontario.

Smith's lawyer argued for a conditional discharge, saying it would be 
unfair to sentence his client for sharing a joint when millions of 
Canadians regularly do the same thing.

Outside court, Smith said he will continue his campaign to change Canada's 
marijuana laws, but will think twice about smoking marijuana in public.
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