Pot crusader bids for stay of charges

Grant testified the first day, Donna and another person testified today.

Judge wants written submissions from the lawyers (defense and prosecutor).

Next court date will be September 25 / 2006 in Provincial court room 105.

The court has been asked to stay the two trafficking charges

Calgary Hearld reporter was there both days....

I will be writing a article to be submitted to marijuana related magazines. I will let you all know which magazine publishes the article and when, when I know myself.

Wednesday, July 5, 2006

Pot crusader bids for stay of charges

Daryl Slade
Calgary Herald

Recreational marijuana users are a thorn in the side of those advocating the illicit drug for medical purposes, longtime medical marijuana crusader Grant Krieger told a judge on Tuesday.

"I have no use for recreational smokers. They cause us sick people problems," said Krieger, 52, who is on trial for two counts of trafficking in marijuana stemming from packages destined for ill fellow users in Manitoba but intercepted by courier companies on Dec. 23, 2003, and Jan. 8, 2004.

"They have lots of disposable income. I live on $855 a month, for rent, food, utilities and other expenses."

Krieger is bidding to have provincial court Judge William Pepler stay the charges, because he said he is only distributing marijuana to others in need to alleviate their chronic pain and suffering for progressive multiple sclerosis, which he has, AIDS, HIV, cancer and other crippling illnesses.

He said sick people should not have to go to illicit drug dealers to buy pot, which often has dangerous additives and is unsafe to consume.

Krieger admits he sent the packages, containing 316.5 and 495 grams, as well as pamphlets from his Grant Krieger Foundation.

He also told Crown prosecutor Scott Couper under cross-examination that he has no medical training of any kind, nor do those who work with him to get medicinal marijuana he grows to more than 400 people in his so-called "compassion club."

"Just what I learned from my own body," Krieger, who has been ingesting pot for about 14 years, told Couper.

Krieger has a rare federally approved exemption under the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations to produce limited amounts of the drug for personal use, but not for others.

Defence lawyer John Hooker said outside court he is not asking for legislation to be found invalid, but for the judge to find "it's unfair to convict a man under these circumstances."

Krieger took his previous convictions to the Supreme Court of Canada in hopes of having them overturned.

The Calgary man argued in Ottawa over jury nullification, a rare legal safety valve which allows jurors to rule against a law in exceptional cases.

He was sentenced to one day in jail for being caught with 29 marijuana plants in his Bowness home seven years ago.

During Krieger's trial, his lawyer argued the defence of necessity, saying he had no choice but to break the law to ensure a reliable supply of pot for patients who have exemptions to use marijuana.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Paul Chrumka had instructed the jurors to convict Krieger, despite two jurors telling him they wanted to acquit.

Krieger lost his case at the Alberta Court of Appeal. It ruled that, even though Chrumka erred in ordering the jury to convict, a new trial would have resulted in the same verdict.

The trial on Krieger's latest charges continues today.

Contact: [email protected]

[urlhttp://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=9b6319b4-2f3b-4899-8b48-01309ab775d1]Calgary Herald[/url]

Keith

Thursday, July 06, 2006

'Impossible' pot rules challenged

Daryl Slade
Calgary Herald

The government provides a legal method for a person to grow and possess marijuana for personal medical reasons, but makes it "almost impossible" to do so, a lawyer argued on Wednesday.

John Hooker, counsel for longtime Calgary pot crusader Grant Krieger, told provincial court Judge William Pepler that it is similar to the issue in the Morgentaler case, in which the government permits women to legally have abortions but then puts hurdles in place.

"Very few doctors will sign certificates for persons to be allowed to possess and use marijuana," said Hooker. "So it is unfair to convict people in such a case as this."

Krieger, 52, is bidding to have the judge stay two counts of trafficking in marijuana. They stem from packages destined for ill users in Manitoba but intercepted by courier companies on Dec. 23, 2003, and Jan. 8, 2004.

He has never applied for an exemption under the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations to grow and possess marijuana for his own use, but was given a one-year exemption following a court case in 2000. It was later made indefinite by the Alberta Court of Appeal.

Krieger freely admitted he is supplying more than 400 people in at least three provinces, all of whom cannot get doctor-backed exemptions and have no legal source of the drug.

Crown prosecutor Scott Couper says having physicians participate in the application process is appropriate, given that marijuana is largely an unproven drug in medical use and is controlled.

Both lawyers will submit detailed written arguments to the judge well in advance of oral arguments on Sept. 25.

Contact: [email protected]

Calgary Herald

The judge made some very interesting comments on the second day.

I will include them in the magazine article.

Keith Fagin