POT ADVOCATE FACES BIG TIME

He might be on his way to jail today, but former political candidate and
convicted marijuana grower Don Briere found time to launch the Canadian
Sanctuary Society in Surrey Tuesday.

The society is dedicated to helping people legally obtain marijuana for
medical purposes.

Tuesday's grand opening ran into a little hitch, however.

"We were all set to do this, but the guy who has the key is on the other
side of Hope and he's tied up in traffic," Briere explained outside the
64th Avenue warehouse complex where the CSS office is located.

Briere ran for the Marijuana Party in Surrey-Tynehead during the last
provincial election on a legalize-pot platform. He polled 370 votes.

His legal woes came to light during the campaign. Briere was arrested when
police busted his marijuana grow-operation in March 1999. Charged with
cultivation, possession for the purposes of trafficking, money laundering,
possessing a prohibited weapon and unlawful storage of ammunition, Briere
ultimately pleaded guilty and was to appear in Surrey provincial court
today for sentencing.

In a joint submission to the court, both the defence and Crown agreed a
four-year sentence is appropriate.

The Crown wants Briere to do four years in prison; he's hoping for a
conditional sentence or failing that, the chance to serve his time in a
minimum security institution.

Despite his conviction, Briere is unrepentant and still pushing hard for
the decriminalization of pot. He thumbed through a large scrap book of
press clippings reporting the efforts of he, and others across the country,
to have pot possession made legal.

"It's crazy. Who would you rather have living next door; someone who smokes
pot, who's not going to be rowdy or violent, or an alcoholic who maybe
beats his wife?" he asked.

He's set up CSS to help people with the complicated paperwork he said must
be filled out before medical marijuana can be obtained.

"They'll come here and we'll process their applications and give them a
referral. That way, they will be able to get their medication."

Briere seemed nonchalant about the prospect of going to prison, perhaps for
four years. He has four children: an adult daughter from a previous
marriage and three youngsters aged five, seven and 10 years. Another child,
a son, died at age 24 from a heroin overdose.

"Do I have regrets? Who wouldn't? There's not a single person in the world
who would say they're happy to be away from their family."