POT ADVOCATE FIGHTS CHARGES

MONTREAL - A man who was arrested for marijuana possession last year after
police took out memberships in the pro-marijuana political party he founded
and infiltrated its club-house was in court yesterday to fight the charge
against him.

Marc-Boris St-Maurice -- who recently left the Marijuana Party of Canada
and the provincial Bloc Pot to pursue pro-pot policies as a Liberal -- said
police violated his constitutional rights. And he wants the evidence police
gathered when they came undercover to Cafe Marijane tossed out.

He said he hopes the charge against him -- possession of three grams of pot
- -- will ultimately be dropped. "It was the most expensive pot I ever had,"
he said yesterday.

Crown prosecutor Mario Longpre argued the police investigation tactics were
legal and in line with numerous court decisions allowing evidence gathered
during sting operations or covert efforts to extract confessions.

Judge Andre Perreault will make a decision on July 14.