MARIJUANA PARTY LEADER PLEADS GUILTY

Nunavut's leader of the Marijuana Party pleaded guilty to
longstanding drug-related charges in an Iqaluit court this Tuesday.

Ed deVries pleaded guilty to trafficking marijuana and laundering the
proceeds of crime, two charges he's faced since August 2004.

The charges stem from an RCMP investigation that began in December
2003, when police intercepted a filing cabinet containing $100,000
worth of marijuana in Montreal during a Canada Post inspection. The
cabinet was bound for a company owned by deVries in Iqaluit.

Earlier this year, deVries' accomplice, Andrew Macdonald, pleaded
guilty to drug trafficking and is currently serving 90 days in prison.

Several weeks ago deVries told Nunatsiaq News he planned to stand
trial in Igloolik by jury. He said he believed he would be acquitted,
given the number of pot smokers he says live in the community.

Since then he's been accused of tarnishing the community's reputation
by angry residents and Igloolik's mayor, Paul Quassa. Quassa has said
some elders want deVries banished.

DeVries is to appear for sentencing in Igloolik on Sept. 25.