Pubdate: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 Source: Truro Daily News (CN NS) Copyright: 2005 The Daily News Contact: http://www.trurodaily.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1159 MARIJUANA ISSUE STILL A BIT SMOKY Clearly there is something wrong with our country when a prison guard admits that marijuana was grown in his house and he even took part in its recreational use. Phillip Murray Munro was fired from the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility after he was arrested, along with his wife, by Tantallon RCMP who executed a search warrant at their home in October, 2001. Munro was fired two months after the bust, in which the two were charged with illegally producing marijuana, possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of cannabis resin and stealing electricity from Nova Scotia Power. Three days after losing his job, he appealed the decision arguing he was let go "without just cause." During that grievance hearing, it was learned that Munro's wife had been using marijuana since 1996 to relieve pain caused by irritable bowel syndrome. In 2001, while Munro was away, she called some friends over and installed grow equipment in the basement. To his credit, Munro asked that the plants be removed, but his wife declined the invitation. So, Munro kept working at the jail while his wife raised 65 marijuana plants for her own medicinal use, stating that he saw no conflict with his employment because he had no involvement other than personal knowledge of the crime that was being committed. As for the charges against him, they were stayed because the RCMP officer who busted them, was charged with drug trafficking himself. No wonder the Americans are worried about loosening the drug laws in Canada. Not only was Munro reinstated, the Justice Department had to dip into the tax coffers to come up with $1,000 in costs to pay the government union that defended the man who worked at a provincial jail. To top it off, the president of the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union is pleased as punch that the correctional worker is now behind bars, but getting a paycheque for being there. "We're very pleased with the outcome ..." said Joan Jessome. We are all aware that there is a move afoot to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. But it is not decriminalized yet. We all feel compassion for people who, by necessity, turn to marijuana for medicinal purposes. But you need a doctor's prescription. We can all understand the desire for some people to grow their own supply of medicinal marijuana. But stealing electricity is still a crime. Munro's own testimony should give the RCMP just cause to issue another search warrant and see if these shenanigans are still ongoing. That, at least, would give us some confidence in the justice system, which appears to have gone horribly off the rails in this instance. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh