'SMOKE-IN' MARKS DEATH OF MARIJUANA ACTIVIST

Local medical marijuana users staged a "smoke-in" in Kamloops
Saturday to mark the death of a B.C. marijuana activist who died
following a hunger strike.

Carl Anderson said about 50 people gathered at Spirit Square at 4:20
p.m. to pay tribute to Istvan Marton, 69, who died Nov. 20 after
suffering a heart attack following a month-long hunger strike.

Marton was fighting for changes to Canada's medical marijuana laws.
His hunger strike divided his home village on Malcolm Island, off the
northeast coast of Vancouver Island, where he was also known as
Steve, the local fair-deal marijuana seller.

Anderson said those who showed up for the Kamloops event sparked up
marijuana and "smoked the square out" as they remembered Marton's fight.

"The police never showed up," he said, adding the event lasted about an hour.

Meanwhile, Anderson said he continues to try to supply local people
who need marijuana medicinally, even though his store remains closed.

The Tranquille office and storefront of the Canadian Safe Cannabis
Society was raided by the Kamloops RCMP on Nov. 2, after drug
investigators obtained a search warrant. Police seized computers,
equipment, 50 growing marijuana plants and about two kilograms of
dried marijuana.

Shortly after, the City issued closed the business citing health and
safety concerns and the need for an environmental assessment.

Anderson said he paid $10,000 to have a City-required environmental
assessment, and expects to hear the results shortly. He hopes to be
able to reopen his shop soon.

In the meantime, he has not heard anything about possible charges
stemming from the Nov. 2 raid, although he welcomes the opportunity
to take his case to court and have a judge rule on the issues.

Anderson said he offered to sign a confession earlier this year
detailing what he was doing, in order to be charged and have the
matter brought to court.

- - With files from The Vancouver Sun