Pubdate: Mon, 02 Mar 2015
Source: Northern News (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Northern News
Contact: http://www.northernnews.ca/letters
Website: http://www.northernnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2315
Author: Joe O'Grady
Page: A1

CANNABIS CRUSADERS IN KL TODAY

KIRKLAND LAKE - Cannabis crusaders will be demonstrating in Kirkland
Lake today in support of a local shop owner whose store was raided by
police last month.

A rally is planned in front of the Tripping Daisy at 22 Lebel Ave at 5
p.m. in support of owner Darren Delaney, who says police seized about
$25,000 in merchandise that can be used for marijuana
consumption.

British Columbia cannabis activist Dana Larsen and Toronto medical
cannabis activist Matt Mernagh will be leading the gathering. They
plan to rally in front of Delaney's store before marching on to the
Kirkland Lake OPP detachment. They will then gather at Kirkland Lake
Inn and Suites for speeches.

Delaney says police seized about $25,000 in bongs, pipes, grinders,
vaporizers and other merchandise during a Feb 5 raid. He says he was
subsequently charged on February 11, after his lawyer made an
application to have the seized items returned. Delaney was charged
under section 462.2 of the Criminal Code, which bans "instruments or
literature for illicit drug use."

The advocates say the literature ban was deemed to be unconstitutional
by the Ontario courts in 1995, but the ban on "instruments" has never
been challenged in court.

"Section 462.2 is considered a weak law and is rarely enforced,"
protest organizers said in a news release. "Bongs and pipes are sold
in hundreds of stores across Canada, including from mainstream
locations like gas stations."

"The ban on medical cannabis devices like waterpipes and vaporizers is
clearly unconstitutional," Larsen says. "When we beat this in court,
these kinds of raids will be put to an end once and for all. Police
officers in most jurisdictions don't bother to enforce this silly law
at all. Apparently the police in Kirkland Lake have solved every other
crime in town if they have the time to make the local bong shop a top
priority."

Kirkland Lake OPP detachment Commander Rick Witty has previously told
Northern News that the raid on the Tripping Daisy was not carried out
by his detachment, but by the OPP's Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau.

The bureau has yet to publicly comment on the case.
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MAP posted-by: Matt