PRO-POT LEADER SWITCHES PLEA

The trial of a marijuana advocate went up in smoke yesterday after he
changed his pleas midway through the day. Chris Buors, the president
of the pro-pot Anti-Prohibition League of Manitoba, pleaded guilty to
charges of cultivating and possessing cannabis for the purpose of
trafficking.

Not Guilty pleas

At the start of the trial he had entered not guilty pleas. He was
arrested in January 1997 after police raided a hydroponic grow
operation worth almost $1 million at 1106 Winnipeg Ave. They alleged
it was run by Buors, who organized a pro-marijuana rally in Winnipeg
in June.

Buors' lawyer Jay Prober, declined comment on the switch, citing his
client's pending sentencing.

The bust of 577 plants was the biggest seizure in the city at the time
with an estimated street value of $973,000. Plastic bags full of dried
marijuana plants were entered as exhibits in the trial yesterday.

A police officer who testified in the morning told Crown attorney
Chris Mainella the premises were clean and the plants healthy. "It was
a nice grow," he said.

During a court recess, Buors, 40, encouraged those interested in the
national movement to decriminalize marijuana to check out his
organization's Internet Web site address at aplmb.org.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry