COURT RULES AGAINST POT CRUSADER

CALGARY (CP) -- Alberta's top court has ruled against medical
marijuana crusader Grant Krieger.

The Albert Court of Appeal says Krieger can't "piggy back" on the
charter rights of sick people to have access to medicinal pot.

The three-judge panel rejected submissions by defence lawyer John
Hooker that Krieger should be given a constitutional exemption to
Canada's trafficking laws.

Hooker argued patients to whom Krieger supplied marijuana were
entitled to get it, but the government hadn't created a suitable
scheme for them to obtain it.

Krieger readily admitted providing the drugs through his Compassion
Club to sick individuals who couldn't get doctors to approve
marijuana prescriptions.

Hooker said doctors are reluctant to provide patients with the
necessary paperwork to get government approval for marijuana prescriptions.

"It's extremely difficult for the members of the Compassion Club, the
ill people ... to get their prescriptions," said Hooker.

"He's trying to help extremely ill people and the government has blocked that."

Hooker said like the case of Dr. Henry Morgentaler, who was acquitted
of providing abortions when it was illegal to do so, Krieger was
trying to right a legal wrong.

A date for Krieger's appeal of his four-month sentence for
trafficking hasn't yet been set.