MARIJUANA ACTIVIST'S LEGAL APPEAL REJECTED

The Alberta Court of Appeal has rejected the bid of a Calgary
marijuana activist seeking to have his drug trafficking charges stayed.

Grant Krieger was looking for a constitutional exemption Wednesday
from his marijuana trafficking conviction, arguing his actions were
protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Krieger has admitted he sent two packages of marijuana to Manitoba in
2003 and 2004, but has argued he was supplying it to sick people for
medical purposes.

At Krieger's 2006 trial, it was argued it was too difficult for some
ill people to obtain an exemption to use the drug under the Marijuana
Medical Access Regulations -- doctors were reluctant to sign-off on
the treatment due to insurance concerns.

Krieger's lawyer, John Hooker, argued Wednesday the trial judge made a
mistake.

Hooker told the court of appeal that the law isn't perfect, and "if we
follow it blindly, sometimes great injustices arise."

He said Krieger was simply stepping in to fulfil a
need.

However, after retiring for only a few minutes, the court of appeal
ruled against Krieger.

Outside the courtroom, Krieger said the problem is people can't get a
signature from a "bloody doctor" to receive medical marijuana.

"Every time I'm in court, people come to see me asking me to help them
out, because they can't get doctors' signatures or whatever," he said.

This is not the end of the case, however. Krieger, who has multiple
sclerosis, is appealing the four-month jail sentence he received in
2007. He said if he's forced to serve the time, "that's a death sentence."

He served a week when he was first sentenced, but is out on bail
pending his appeal. No date has been set for the appeal.