COURT OF APPEAL UPHOLDS RESEARCHER'S DRUG SENTENCE

VANCOUVER - The B.C. Court of Appeal has upheld a one-year conditional
sentence imposed on a medicinal marijuana researcher who was caught
growing an estimated $2 million worth of pot.

Lawyer John Conroy argued on behalf of his client, Paul Hornby, that
the sentencing judge failed to treat Hornby differently than
commercial marijuana growers.

Hornby had a contract to sell marijuana at cost to the Compassion
Club, which supplies medicinal marijuana to people who have a Health
Canada exemption to grow and possess the drug.

Hornby was president of Hedron Analytical Inc., which had a Health
Canada licence to do analysis of marijuana plants to determine THC
content. The company wasn't permitted to grow marijuana.

Hornby's lawyer argued that his client was doing medicinal marijuana
research, trying to find out how marijuana could be used without the
intoxicating effects of the drug.

Hornby, who has a zoology degree and a PhD in human pathology, was
sentenced last March 3 after pleading guilty to one count of
possessing marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, and possessing an
unregistered firearm.

Police found a replica M-16 rifle in a closet in Hornby's Richmond
home. He told police the weapon was for "a little security on the
chance of someone invading the house." The gun wasn't loaded and
Hornby had no ammunition.

Police seized nine boxes of dried marijuana weighing 18 kilograms,
seven plastic bags of buds weighing 980 grams, 43 dried plants, plus
367 living plants and 1,892 clones. The estimated street value of the
pot was between $664,000 and $2.4 million.