REEFER MADNESS

A double-standard on marijuana means it's all right for Olympic athletes to
test positive for the drug but illegal for people to use it for medicinal
purposes, a Calgary court heard yesterday.

"When Ross (Rebagliati) won the gold medal in Japan, all of our Canadian
officials said it's only a little bit of pot so give him his medal," said
Grant Krieger 43, who admitted smoking a joint before court.

He's charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and
possession. "How come I've got charges against me if it's only a little bit
of pot?" Snowboarder Reba-gliati tested positive for traces of marijuana and
was temporarily stripped of his medal at the Winter Olympics. He got it back
after an appeal.

In Alberta's first ever marijuana-rights trial, Krieger is fighting to have
laws against medicinal pot use declared unconstitutional.

"I will take this all the way to the Supreme Court if I have to," said
Krieger outside court. "I'm willing to go to jail if that's what it takes."
Krieger was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1978. He was arrested last
June after he openly tried to hand an ounce of marijuana to a Calgary man
who was on trial for cultivating a narcotic.

Outside court, several sign-waving marijuana activists demonstrated in
support of Krieger.

"It's a matter of people not getting access to the medicine they need --
it's your body, it should be your choice," said activist Amanda Stewart.

Proponents say marijuana alleviates a wide range of medical problems,
including nausea from chemotherapy and pressure on the eyes from glaucoma.
Krieger said he gave up prescription drugs for marijuana and pulled himself
back from the brink of suicide. He told court he tried to kill himself in
1994 after becoming bed-ridden due to MS.

Krieger said he smokes an ounce of marijuana a week, at a cost of $300. His
lawyer, Adriano Iovinelli, said he would argue under the Charter of Rights
and Freedoms the law interferes with his client's quality of life.

"He's willing to be the martyr for the cause, to give it for medicinal
purposes," said Iovinelli.

The judge will rule June 16.

In 1996, Krieger was arrested in Amsterdam for trying to transport a
kilogram of marijuana back to Canada. He has yet to stand trial on charges
related to that incident.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett