POT CRUSADER SLAMS SENATE HEARINGS

Study A Waste Of Taxpayers' Money'

Proposed Senate hearings into the legalization of marijuana and other drugs
are a waste of taxpayers' money, says a Calgary man who smokes pot to ease
the pain of multiple sclerosis.

`I don't think they're going to do much,' said Grant Krieger, 45, who faces
a drug trafficking charge for alleged distribution of pot to other ill people.

`This is more lip service.'

The Senate is expected to launch public hearings into the legalization of
marijuana and other drugs early next year. Conservative Senator
Pierre-Claude Nolin has been drumming up support in Canada's Upper Chamber
for a formal inquiry into drug laws but the Senate must still approve the
plan.

Calgary Senator Dan Hays, the Liberal Senate deputy leader is among those
who support Nolan's forthcoming motion.

Nolan's first motion for an inquiry died when Parliament was prorogued for
the new session this fall.

`The laws are going to get tougher,' predicted Krieger, who temporarily
lost his ability to walk after he was jailed and went without pot for 10
days between August and September for breach of probation on an earlier
trafficking charge.

`That's all that will happen.' Krieger continues to use pot for medicinal
purposes but he has promised not to distribute it to others though his
Universal Compassion Club.

But Hays said the study is much broader than just an examination of the
legalization of certain drugs and will also consider the use of illegal
drugs for therapeutic purposes. He said it will help the Senate learn where
Canada's drug laws have succeeded and failed, understand the government's
drug policies, and determine why illegal narcotics are still so prevalent
after many years of the so-called war on drugs.

`This is not, as I understand it, an inquiry into hallucinogenic drugs, but
drugs in general,' said Hays in a telephone interview from his Ottawa
office, adding it's been several years since the Senate examined drug use.
`I think that would be good use of time by the Senate.'

He said it's `most appropriate' that a legislative body that has the power
to call such an inquiry do so.

Observers believe approval of the study is fait accompli, even though Nolin
is an opposition senator. Hays said he won't pressure his Liberal collegues
to support the motion.

`I'll leave it up to them to make their decision,' said Hays. `What I will
do is make sure there's full, fair opportunity to debate it.'