MARIJUANA PROMOTER TARGETED BY POLICE, WITNESS TESTIFIES

Ted Smith, Victoria's self-appointed champion of marijuana, was
singled out by police for arrest because of his political views, a
provincial court judge heard Monday.

Dorothy Annette Bushby testified she and Smith drove to a
pro-marijuana rally at the University of Victoria on Nov. 8, 2000.
Smith spoke and then lit up joints and passed them around, as did
others. But Bushby, who testified she also lit up and passed around
joints, said after the rally plain-clothes police officers moved in
and arrested Smith.

"It was pretty obvious to me he was being targeted. He was speaking
about what he believed in," she testified.

Smith is on trial for trafficking marijuana and possession for the
purpose of trafficking marijuana. His case is being heard by
provincial court Judge Judith Kay.

Police officers who arrested Smith that day testified they were
investigating a complaint and assigned to observe Smith and take
appropriate action. "I simply did as I was instructed by my
supervisor," said Saanich Const. Dean Jantzen.

Const. Philip Richmond, now of Victoria police, said he remembers
seeing about 40 people at the rally. But Richmond said he saw only
Smith light up marijuana joints and pass them around. The charge
against Smith was largely motivated by police-officer common sense.

Smith is the founder of Victoria's Cannabis Buyer's Club. It provides
cannabis as medicine to people who are suffering permanent medical
disabilities or conditions or incurable diseases. His commitment to
providing medicinal marijuana has seen him arrested and charged and
even found guilty before.