POT FOR POORLY NETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE

A Lions Bay man convicted of possessing six kilograms (13 lb.) of marijuana
for trafficking purposes received the minimum sentence.

Marcus Richardson, 26, was given a suspended sentence and six months of
probation on Jan. 26 in North Vancouver provincial court. A suspended
sentence carries a criminal record.

Judge Jerome Paradis accepted Richardson's defence that he was a marijuana
wholesaler for the BC Compassion Club Society.

The Compassion Club is a non-profit organization in east Vancouver that
sells marijuana for a nominal price to persons with illness including
cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis. Club members must have doctors'
letters supporting medicinal marijuana use.

On Nov. 25, 1998, Richardson's car was stopped at a Counter Attack
roadblock near the Lions Gate Bridge. West Vancouver Police Const. John Lo
discovered the marijuana and $6,000 cash in $20s in the car's trunk.

Richardson did not take the stand in court. But Compassion Club founder
Hilary Black, a former West Vancouver resident, testified that the
marijuana was for Compassion Club members and the $6,000 was a "float" used
to pay marijuana growers.

Judge Paradis noted that certain people may be exempted from the legislated
prohibition of possessing marijuana through Health Canada. He referred to
the Compassion Club as a pharmacy "known to and tolerated by the (Vancouver
City ) police."

The judge ruled that the $6,000 seized from Richardson was offence-related
property that could be forfeited to the Crown. But he declined to order the
forfeiture. The judge stated he was satisfied the money belonged to the
Compassion Club and gave it back to Richardson.

Richardson's lawyer John Conroy said he was quite content with the judge's
reasons for sentencing.

"It was pretty well the least possible sentence the court could have
imposed," said Conroy.

The prosecuting Crown lawyer in the case, Jay Straith, had asked for a fine.

Richardson received a conditional discharge( no criminal record) and three
months probation for possessing a small amount of hashish found in one of
his pockets when the marijuana was seized.

West Vancouver Police had the marijuana destroyed before the trial.