WITNESSES TESTIFY AT MONTREAL MARIJUANA TRIAL THEY NEED IT FOR MEDICINAL USE

MONTREAL (CP) - The trial of two volunteers at a centre that distributes
marijuana for medicinal use was told by two witnesses on Monday that they
owe their lives to smoking pot.

"I don't think I'd be alive - I don't think I could get along without
marijuana," Jodie Jonas told Quebec court Judge Gilles Cadieux. Jonas, 22,
said she suffers from a rare form of migraine headaches that cause frequent
vomiting and only by smoking five to 10 marijuana cigarettes a day can she
abort the debilitating attacks.

Bill Palmer, who tested HIV-positive in 1997, stressed he would "get sicker
and sicker and then die a lot sooner" if he didn't smoke up to 10 marijuana
cigarettes a day.

"Cannabis helps everything," the 37-year-old Toronto man said, referring to
the difficult side-effects of AIDS medications.

Palmer and Jonas were among five witnesses called to the stand by defence
lawyer Pierre Leger, who is representing two volunteers of a non-profit
Montreal centre that provides marijuana to sufferers of chronic illnesses.

Marc-Boris St-Maurice, 32, and Alexandre Neron, 22, of the Compassion Club
are both charged with drug trafficking and possession for the purpose of
trafficking following their arrest one year ago.

Leger is contesting the constitutionality of the drug laws, arguing they
don't take into account the special federal exemptions granted to people
allowing them to smoke marijuana in order to alleviate pain and the
side-effects from prescription drugs.

Claude Messier, who testified from his motorized wheelchair Monday morning,
is one of those Canadians with the government exemption.

"I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything without marijuana," said the
34-year-old with a severe muscle disorder. "I couldn't endure the effects
(of his disability) without pot."

Outside the courtroom, Messier told reporters the government "gives us an
exemption then prohibits us from getting (pot). It's very indecent."

He stressed he isn't addicted to marijuana, but physically needs it.

"When you're in pain, you take anything to sooth it," Messier added.

Like Palmer, fellow AIDS patient Michel Thibert testified marijuana
restores the appetite lost to strong prescription medications.

He turned to the Club Compassion "because I wanted a reliable source and
good quality marijuana.