POT NEEDED FOR HEALTH, SAYS ACCUSED

A city firefighter charged with growing and selling marijuana at his Stony
Plain home says he was forced to start a hydroponic operation to help cope
with ill health.

"It's something a health condition has forced me into and I can't see where
I've become a criminal because of it," John Klaver, 50, said last night.

He declined to outline the nature of his health problems, but CHQT radio
reported last night the captain and 29-year veteran in the city emergency
response department has suffered from severe back pain and depression over
the last two years.

Cops charged Klaver and his wife Wendy Klaver, 48, after a search of their
acreage home west of Stony Plain yesterday.

Police said about 40 mature marijuana plants with a street value of about
$30,000 were seized from a wing of the house.

RCMP Cpl. Amrik Virk said a woman was at the home when Mounties and city
cops from the drug unit arrived. The man turned himself in to police
yesterday afternoon.

Rob Hartmann, president of the city firefighters' union, said last night he
wasn't certain of Klaver's status with the department.

"I'm not sure if he's off or active at this point," Hartmann said. "He had
been off for a while (sick), but I'd have to check (today)."

The Klavers are to appear in Stony Plain provincial court Oct. 23 to face
charges of producing a controlled substance and trafficking in marijuana.

"They've been released on their own recognizance," Virk said. "There's no
risk they're not going to show up to court."

Copyright (c) 1998, Canoe Limited Partnership.

Checked-by: Don Beck