Marijuana crusader Grant Krieger can't "piggy back" on the Charter rights of sick people to have access to medicinal pot, Alberta's top court ruled yesterday. A three-member Alberta Court of Appeal panel rejected submissions by defence lawyer John Hooker that Krieger should be given a constitutional exemption to Canada's trafficking laws. Hooker argued patients to whom Krieger supplied marijuana were entitled to get it, but the government hadn't created a suitable scheme for them to obtain it. [continues 201 words]
RE: "Pot activist may go to joint," (Oct. 30.) Child molesters get house arrest and even murderers still get their heart medications in jail. But this dying man, who did nothing more than help sick and dying people get the medicine they needed, will go to jail and be deprived of the medicine he needs. Grant Krieger will likely die, and if he doesn't die, he will suffer in ways that repeated violent offenders never will. This, to me, constitutes cruel and unusual punishment --or to put it more bluntly, torture. I can only hope the 12 jurors and judge all get painful diseases that require marijuana, and that no one is there to help them when they need it. (Are you trying to tell us jails are drug-free?) [end]
Convicted Of Drug Trafficking Jurors took less than one hour yesterday to convict a medicinal pot activist of drug trafficking. "As far as I'm concerned, all the marijuana laws do is suppress sick people," said a dejected Grant Krieger following the verdict. Jurors convicted the 54-year-old Calgary man of trafficking in marijuana, possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime. Krieger was arrested Jan. 4, 2004, after Headingley RCMP pulled his car over and found half a kilogram of marijuana in the trunk and nearly $4,000 in cash. [continues 274 words]
WINNIPEG -- Jurors took less than one hour yesterday to convict a Calgary medicinal pot activist of drug trafficking. "As far as I'm concerned, all the marijuana laws do is suppress sick people," said a dejected Grant Krieger following the verdict. Jurors convicted the 54-year-old Calgary man of trafficking in marijuana, possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime. Krieger was arrested Jan. 4, 2004, after Headingley RCMP pulled his car over and found half a kilogram of marijuana in the trunk and nearly $4,000 in cash. [continues 153 words]
Sold Marijuana To Ill Clients Across Canada A medical marijuana crusader says he will likely die in prison now that a Winnipeg jury has found him guilty of trafficking pot to several clients across Canada. Grant Krieger said Wednesday's verdict shows how little the country cares for the sick and dying and represents a blown opportunity to make a statement. "I'm ashamed to be a Canadian," the Calgary resident told the Free Press outside court just moments after learning his fate. [continues 436 words]
Prison Will 'Kill Me,' Man With MS Says A medical marijuana crusader with multiple sclerosis says he will likely die in prison now that a Winnipeg jury has found him guilty of selling pot to clients across Canada who suffer from chronic pain or terminal illnesses. "I'm ashamed to be a Canadian," Grant Krieger, 53, said yesterday after a jury found him guilty of trafficking. The Calgary resident said the verdict shows how little the country cares for the sick and dying and represents a wasted opportunity to make a statement. [continues 303 words]
I've got a secret to tell you. It's about jurors. Jurors called for duty on criminal cases have a secret power. It's a secret because in a trial neither the judge nor the lawyers are allowed to tell the jurors this power exists. But it does. It's called "jury nullification." It doesn't mean the jury gets nullified. It means the jury can nullify a law or nullify the application of a law to a specific case. Jurors can use this power if they believe a law is unjust or that the application of the law to the case would be unjust. [continues 642 words]
[Re: "More reasons to fight Bill C-26," Letters, May 1] Mike Guetta mentions, "Had I the time, I would start an organization devoted to educating Canadians as to their right to decide according to their conscience while serving on a jury." Such an organization exists. Visit www.juror.ca to learn about jury nullification, and also Google "Grant Krieger" to find out about a medical marijuana activist who fought for this principle all the way to the Supreme Court. Information will overthrow prohibition. Tim Meehan Patients Against Ignorance and Discrimination on Cannabis www.paidoc.org [end]
Calgary Airport Volunteers Honour Marijuana Activist CALGARY -- Canada's "Prince of Pot" has joined the ranks of singer Dolly Parton, Prince Philip and Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean. Arriving in Calgary for a two-day visit yesterday, Marc Emery, Canada's best-known marijuana activist, was white-hatted by the Calgary airport's official White Hat Volunteers. "I'm the Prince of Pot," he said. "That's a royalty, a monarchy of sorts, so I guess it fits." Yesterday's warm welcome, arranged by Emery's supporters, comes in stark contrast to his visit to Calgary in 2003, when he was arrested for marijuana possession. [continues 158 words]
Canada's "Prince of Pot" has joined the ranks of Dolly Parton, Prince Philip and Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean. Arriving at the Calgary airport for a two-day visit Saturday, Canada's best-known marijuana activist, Marc Emery, was white-hatted by the Calgary airport's official White Hat Volunteers. "I'm the Prince of Pot," he said. "That's a royalty, a monarchy of sorts, so I guess it fits." Saturday's warm welcome, arranged by Emery's supporters, comes in stark contrast to his visit to Calgary in 2003 when Emery was arrested for marijuana possession. [continues 348 words]
Canada Is a World Leader in Pot Use. Should Our Laws Change to Reflect National Attitudes? Should marijuana be decriminalized? Licia Corbella and Michael Coren examine the issue from both sides. CORBELLA: If Albert Einstein is right, that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results," then it's safe to say Canada's policy on marijuana use is crazy. Recent news reports show that Canadians are toking up more than ever even as police are laying an increasing number of charges against those who possess pot. Indeed, according to the United Nations World Drug Report 2007, Canadians hold the dubious distinction of being the biggest potheads on the planet. It's time to try something new. It's time for decriminalization or perhaps even legalization. [continues 1172 words]
The "Prince of Pot" says he's surprised it took the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) so long to investigate his Internet business, which sold hundreds of thousands of marijuana seeds to Americans for 11 years. "They claim I'm responsible for seeds that produced 1.1 million pounds of marijuana worth $3 billion. So, if it's true, I'm so happy about that," said Marc Emery, while speaking at a Saskatchewan Marijuana Party rally in Saskatoon on Saturday. "If I were the DEA, I would have targeted me too." [continues 456 words]
SASKATOON -- The "Prince of pot" says he's surprised it took the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) so long to investigate his Internet business that sold hundreds of thousands of marijuana seeds to Americans for 11 years. "They claim I'm responsible for seeds that produced 1.1 million pounds of marijuana worth $3 billion so if it's true, I'm so happy about that," said Marc Emery while speaking at a Saskatchewan Marijuana Party rally in Saskatoon Saturday. "If I were the DEA, I would have targeted me too." [continues 561 words]
'If I Were The DEA, I Would Have Targeted Me, Too' SASKATOON - Canada's "Prince of Pot" says he's surprised it took the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration so long to investigate his Internet business that sold hundreds of thousands of marijuana seeds to Americans for 11 years. "They claim I'm responsible for seeds that produced 1.1 million pounds of marijuana worth $3 billion, so if it's true, I'm so happy about that," Marc Emery told a Saskatchewan Marijuana Party rally in Saskatoon on Saturday. [continues 306 words]
Medicinal marijuana crusader Grant Krieger was expected to be released from jail Wednesday night, after his lawyer succeeded in getting him bail until an appeal of his most recent conviction is heard. Justice Peter Martin ordered the controversial Krieger to be released on bail after a hearing at the Alberta Court of Appeal on Wednesday, pending his appeal. Krieger will not be allowed to distribute cannabis while on bail, and will have to report to the court each month. His lawyer, John Hooker, said both conditions were "pretty fair." [continues 140 words]
News that medical marijuana user and activist Grant Krieger has been sent to prison on a trafficking charge is no real surprise, but it is profoundly disappointing. Krieger has a marijuana licence for his multiple sclerosis (MS), and in March of this year the judge had ruled his sentence be delayed until details around access to his medicine behind bars was ironed out. But as of last week, Alberta's solicitor has general turned down the judge's earlier request that Krieger have access to marijuana while serving his sentence, even though he has legal permission to use pot as medicine. [continues 664 words]
So this is what the "war on drugs" has come to. When prohibition isn't creating and fuelling an lucrative trade, it's locking up the infirm for the crime of helping others like them, with marijuana. And while it imprisons them, it denies them their medication. Last Monday, Calgary Provincial Court Judge William Pepler ordered Grant Krieger incarcerated immediately, with no access to the pot the MS sufferer says has made his life liveable. Reefer madness has come full circle. [continues 561 words]
The condition of notorious medicinal marijuana crusader Grant Krieger - -- incarcerated at the Calgary Remand Centre since Monday -- is "rapidly deteriorating," according to his friends and family. "He's having troubles getting around, he's depressed and he's in pain," said Ryan Krieger, Grant's 25-year-old son. Ryan has not visited his father in jail and has only spoken with him by phone. "He is under medical care because his muscles are cramping up and his mobility is diminishing. They are trying to make him feel comfortable." [continues 328 words]
