Grant Kreiger, 46, who has been campaigning for five years to have pot legalized, was facing one charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking after police found 29 marijuana plants in his home in August 1999.

In its ruling on Wednesday night, the jury found that while Kreiger was breaking the law, he was justified in doing so as he was trying to save lives.

Kreiger's defense lawyer, Adriano Iovinelli, told the jury his client "believes what he is doing is not wrong," when he supplies marijuana to people who need it for medicinal purposes but are not able to turn elsewhere for a supply.

Kreiger, himself a victim of multiple sclerosis, had organized a group called the Universal Compassion Club to help people who were chronically ill. Iovinelli argued that he broke the law out of necessity.

Prosecutor Scott Couper has 30 days to appeal the verdict, but Iovinell said Kreiger had the support of public opinion. Kreiger told reporters the verdict was a step forward in his campaign, and he would continue supplying marijuana to the chronically ill.

In Ottawa on Thursday, federal health department spokeswoman Rosalyn Tremblay said she could not comment on an individual case before the court, but said that the department has already launched a program to begin clinical trials on the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

In December, federal Health Minister Allan Rock announced that his department had granted a five-year contract to a biotechnical company to produce the plant in an abandoned Manitoba mine under tight security to ensure none of the substance left the mine illegally.

Tremblay said the first crop of legal marijuana was expected to be handed to the federal government in January and the clinical trials would begin. Individuals who wished to receive supplies as part of the trials would have to abide by a set of rules, she said.

Ottawa's decision to allow marijuana to be produced legally came after provincial judges criticized the federal government for not making marijuana available to patients who needed it to relieve pain. Days before Rock's announcement, Justice Darlene Acton in Alberta ruled as unconstitutional a section of the Canadian Drugs and Substance Act.

She said it was absurd that while the law allowed the federal health minister to grant exemption to Canadians to possess and grow marijuana if they needed it for medical purposes, it was ironic "that there is no source in Canada for marijuana at this time." She gave the federal government 12 months to change the drug legislation.

Last month, legislators in the federal Parliament launched a debate on whether marijuana and other so-called soft drugs should be decriminalized. Federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan said she was quite open to the debate "and I look forward to this discussion."

Several political leaders, including federal Conservative chief Joe Clark, told reporters they favored decriminalizing marijuana, but while two parliamentary committees began a sweeping review of Canada's drug laws, Prime Minister Jean Chretien said he was only looking at legalizing pot for medical purposes, not for general use.

Source: United Press International
Published: Thursday June 21, 2001
Copyright 2001 by United Press International
Website: http://www.upi.com/

Related Articles & Web Site:

Canadian Links
http://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htm

Calgary Jury Rules Marijuana Crusader Justified
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10116.shtml

Canadians Lean Toward Easing Marijuana Laws
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10076.shtml

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