POT SMOKER WINS HUMAN RIGHTS HEARING

BURLINGTON - An Ontario man who was told he wasn't allowed to smoke
medical marijuana outside a local sports bar has been granted a
hearing at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, one of the first
cases of its kind in Canadian history.

Steve Gibson, a father of two, is claiming he was discriminated
against because of his disability after he was barred from Gator
Ted's Tap and Grill in Burlington, in May 2005 for smoking marijuana
by the restaurant's front door. He had been a patron at the bar for 12 years.

"The problem is that I'm not allowed to smoke where other people are
allowed to smoke (cigarettes)," he said Tuesday from his Burlington
home, about 60 kilometres west of Toronto.

Three years ago, Gibson was told by the owner of his local family
sports bar that he had to be about 30 metres away from the eatery's
front door while smoking because the marijuana was bothering other
customers, including children.

Gibson, who is one of more than 2,000 Canadians who has a licence to
use marijuana for medical purposes, regularly lights the bud to
alleviate pain he has from a neck injury.