POT PARTY APPLAUDS CANNIBIS CASES IN SUPREME COURT

B.C. Marijuana Party candidates in Chilliwack are applauding a Supreme
Court of Canada decision to hear a series of test cases that could lead to
the decriminalization of cannabis.

No date has been set for the Supreme Court Justices to hear lawyers for
three defendants argue that the government has no right to deprive citizens
of liberty for an activity they say causes no harm.

Although a favorable ruling would take away the B.C. Marijuana Party's main
election platform, Norm Siefken, the party's candidate in Chilliwack-Sumas,
says the court's surprise decision last week to hear the cases is "awesome."

"I hope the (Supreme) Court will bring justice, and respect the wide-spread
popularity of marijuana," he says. "It's certainly something that's being
watched very carefully in the marijuana movement."

Not all the party's election candidates are pot-smokers, he adds, like

Agassiz health-food store owner David Ferguson, who announced his candidacy
to run for election in the Chilliwack-Kent riding last week.

Defence counsel, including Abbotsford lawyer John Conroy, say if their
clients win their appeal to the country's top court, the government will
likely be restricted to regulating marijuana the same as alcohol and tobacco.

Mr. Conroy says most lower court judges have agreed there is little health
risk to users of the drug, aside from bronchial problems caused by chronic use.

Two of the cases heading to the Supreme Court involve B.C. men, Victor
Caine from Langley and David Malmo-Levine from Vancouver. The third,
Christopher James Clay, is from Ontario.

Mr. Caine was convicted after he was found with a small amount of marijuana
in his car. Mr. Malmo-Levine was convicted for trafficking after police
seized 316 grams of marijuana at the Harm Reduction Club he founded. Mr.
Clay was convicted of possessing and trafficking marijuana at his London,
Ont. store.

The B.C. Court of Appeal upheld Mr. Malmo-Levine's trafficking conviction,
but concluded marijuana is not addictive and does not lead people to try
hard drugs.