ENTREPRENEUR PURSUING OK FOR CANNABIS CAFE

SASKATOON -- An entrepreneur in Saskatoon has asked the city for permission
to set up a "Dutch-style" cannabis cafe where pot is freely toked.

The letter-writer asked Mayor Jim Maddin for first crack at a licence if
the government eliminates the current federal laws prohibiting it.

"There would have to be a lot of laws changed and repealed in Saskatoon but
hey, maybe we could be the first in the country to have this," Maddin said
Wednesday.

"I'm sure marijuana usage is much more widespread than the average person
might think. And I have no difficulty believing its use is quite common
across a variety of socio-economic strata," he said, then added, "I mean, I
don't know, I'm not part of the crowd."

In Holland, over 800 licensed cannabis cafes have been set up where
marijuana users can buy and consume small amounts of pot.

Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon announced in December his intention
to introduce legislation in the first four months of 2003 to wipe marijuana
possession off the criminal record books.

Cauchon, 40, believes people caught with less than 30 grams -- about 25 or
30 cigarettes -- should be fined, not criminally charged.

"I guess those recent developments have made this individual think ahead,
to get in on the ground level if it does happen," said Maddin, who wouldn't
reveal the letter-writer's identity.

"If this person decides to speak publicly, fair enough, but it's not for me
to release those details."

The letter won't be included in the communications section of the next city
council agenda, either. It was addressed only to Maddin, not to council. It
crossed his desk Tuesday and he passed on copies to the Development
Services Branch and city solicitor for information.

"If the current legal situation stays the same and doesn't permit any of
this, I'm sure they'll correspond that back to the individual," said Maddin.

"When a letter comes in, it's a formal document and we have to deal with it
that way.

"All it can be is an inquiry because there's no such thing as a licence for
a cannabis cafe right now," Maddin added. "The city isn't going to license
illegal activity, that's for sure. But it's interesting, I'll say that."

If the federal laws were to change there would also need to be an
examination of municipal bylaws before any go-ahead was given.

"Would it fall within the parameters of the smoking bylaw?" asked Maddin.
"There's all kinds of issues here."

Maddin said it is unlikely he'd ever attend the cafe, should one open.

"Are you kidding? It took me a long enough time to figure out what a chat
cafe was," he said. "I have no idea what I'd do at a cannabis cafe. How
does that work? Is there a menu with 101 ways to serve cannabis, I don't know."

Last week a judge threw out charges against a 16-year-old Windsor, Ont.
teen after agreeing with a defence argument that there are no laws in
Canada prohibiting the possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana. The
federal government is appealing.

And a Toronto lawyer revealed this week that he will ask a judge on Friday
to toss out his client's pot-possession charge. If the Toronto judge
accepts the argument, other judges in the city will likely follow suit,
lawyer Aaron Harnett said.