Pubdate: Mon, 28 Nov 2011
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2011 Kamloops Daily News
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Author: Robert Koopmans
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

'SMOKE-IN' MARKS DEATH OF MARIJUANA ACTIVIST

Local medical marijuana users staged a "smoke-in" in Kamloops 
Saturday to mark the death of a B.C. marijuana activist who died 
following a hunger strike.

Carl Anderson said about 50 people gathered at Spirit Square at 4:20 
p.m. to pay tribute to Istvan Marton, 69, who died Nov. 20 after 
suffering a heart attack following a month-long hunger strike.

Marton was fighting for changes to Canada's medical marijuana laws. 
His hunger strike divided his home village on Malcolm Island, off the 
northeast coast of Vancouver Island, where he was also known as 
Steve, the local fair-deal marijuana seller.

Anderson said those who showed up for the Kamloops event sparked up 
marijuana and "smoked the square out" as they remembered Marton's fight.

"The police never showed up," he said, adding the event lasted about an hour.

Meanwhile, Anderson said he continues to try to supply local people 
who need marijuana medicinally, even though his store remains closed.

The Tranquille office and storefront of the Canadian Safe Cannabis 
Society was raided by the Kamloops RCMP on Nov. 2, after drug 
investigators obtained a search warrant. Police seized computers, 
equipment, 50 growing marijuana plants and about two kilograms of 
dried marijuana.

Shortly after, the City issued closed the business citing health and 
safety concerns and the need for an environmental assessment.

Anderson said he paid $10,000 to have a City-required environmental 
assessment, and expects to hear the results shortly. He hopes to be 
able to reopen his shop soon.

In the meantime, he has not heard anything about possible charges 
stemming from the Nov. 2 raid, although he welcomes the opportunity 
to take his case to court and have a judge rule on the issues.

Anderson said he offered to sign a confession earlier this year 
detailing what he was doing, in order to be charged and have the 
matter brought to court.

- - With files from The Vancouver Sun
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom