U.S. money pours in for marijuana defendant: Internet fund raising
bankrolls bid to make pot legal in Canada

By: Mike Blanchfield

So far the lawyer has worked for free, hellbent to legalize marijuana
in Canada. But the client has more than pulled his weight.

Chris Clay, the slight, fairhaired 26yearold man accused of
trafficking marijuana, has singlehandedly raised $25,000 thanks to
some tireless networking on the Internet.

Money has poured in from Canada, Chile, Greenland, Luxembourg,
Australia and Japan, he said.

But the greatest support about half the amount raised has come
from the U.S. In some states a conviction for possession of a small
amount of marijuana has resulted in life sentences and swelling prison
populations.

``A lot of Americans feel the oppression a lot more than we do,'' Mr.
Clay told the Citizen last night. ``And they know that if we win here
it will put pressure on in the United States to change their laws.''

Mr. Clay is the owner of the London store, Hemp Nation. For the last
three weeks his lawyers, Osgoode Hall law professor Alan Young and his
assistant Paul Burstein, have paraded almost a dozen expert witnesses
from across North America through a London courtroom to convince a
judge to strike down the Canadian drug law that makes marijuana
illegal.

``I've raised enough to cover all of the witnesses. That was our main
concern,'' Mr. Clay said. ``Just to bring all the people here and pay
for their hotels and what not. So anything that's left now will go to
Paul and Alan.''

When the trial resumes today, Mr. Clay's lawyers are to vigorously
crossexamine an expert for the prosecution.

Mr. Clay's defence revolves around one simple proposition: that
marijuana, compared to alcohol and tobacco, is not a particularly
harmful drug and therefore should not be subject to the strict
guidelines of the Narcotics Control Act.

Mr. Clay was charged in 1995 and since then police have raided his
store twice. But he has persevered in what some legal experts predict
could be a groundbreaking case in the effort to legalize the drug.

Mr. Clay's secret fundraising weapon is his Internet home page
(www.hempnation.com), which he credits with helping raise the $25,000.

London trial: Experts say marijuana is safe, A5

Mr. Clay is raising the money the same way governments used to finance
wars through the sale of victory bonds.

His donors buy a signed, numbered document for $25. Each document, or
bond, can be redeemed for a quarter ounce of marijuana provided of
course Mr. Clay wins his case and he can in fact legally sell the
drug.

Mr. Clay spends one to five hours a day updating his web page, adding
the latest media reports, reports from experts and other factoids.

``I don't get a lot of sleep,'' he said.

Mr. Young said his client's efforts have made a huge contribution to
the case. Mr. Clay has been responsible for scheduling the testimony
of various witnesses, which has kept the trial running smoothly so
far.

``Chris has done a great job,'' said Mr. Young. ``I'm surprised we got
off the ground.''