GURU GIVES POLICE GOODS ON GRASS

In Laurence Cherniak's world marijuana would be legalized, society
would reap the profits from its sales and Canadians' quality of life
would improve.

Cherniak, regarded by many as one of the world's foremost speakers on
the subject of hashish and cannabis culture, presented his thoughts at
an Abbotsford police board meeting two weeks ago before a
less-than-enthusiastic audience of board members.

Clad in slacks, dress shirt, tie and a 1992 Toronto Blue Jays World
Series jacket, Cherniak outlined for the board the benefits that could
come from legalizing marijuana. At the top of his list was the money
it could produce. Cherniak says the current street sales of marijuana
are $7 billion - money he says could be put toward major societal
issues if pot were legalized. He says any problems that arise from the
legalization of marijuana could be solved by the profits.

"Certainly more than enough funds would become available to provide
B.C. to carefully administer whatever departments were necessary to
solve any issues whatsoever, so that life could move up to a new level
for Canadians," said Cherniak, a renowned artist and photographer
who's studied cannabis for 40 years.

He added that Abbotsford should be focusing its energy on other
challenges instead of pot - things like beef closures, the avian flu
situation, the lack of rapid transit and Sumas Energy 2.

"These are . . . much bigger issues facing the community than
marijuana," said Cherniak, who was accompanied at the meeting by
friend and Abbotsford pot activist Tim Felger.

Cherniak went on to outline the history of cannabis, its uses and to
point out the "misinformation" spread about the "harmless" drug. To
back up his arguments Cherniak cited the work of Stephen Easton, a
professor at Simon Fraser University, and Gil Puder, a former
Vancouver police officer who has since died. Both have strongly
lobbied for the legalization of pot for various reasons. Yet Cherniak
says they and other pot activists' views are thrown out the window by
people - "like your mayor [Mary Reeves]" - who have no proof to back
up their position.

"If these people are not providing the history of research I've done,
it does not bear the same credibility," he said.

Reeves, however, says citizens of Abbotsford tell her every day that
marijuana in the community is unacceptable.

"E-mails, phone calls, letters," said Reeves. "It's ongoing.
Never-ending - do something about it is what people are telling me."

Reeves refutes several of Cherniak's claims and says Abbotsford
citizens don't want pot legalized.

"First of all, I'd want to look at a credible report on what the stats
really are," she said, referring to Cherniak's $7 billion figure.
"Second of all, I don't think this community is prepared to legalize
marijuana. We are responding to what is legal in this country and
that's where we're at."

At the end of Cherniak's speech police board members seemed relieved.
None of them had questions for Cherniak, despite his invitations.

"There's nobody who would like more information on this," Reeves told
Cherniak. "They're happy to just leave it as received as information
only."

After the meeting Felger and Cherniak vowed to continue their
fight.

"I'm afraid it fell on deaf ears, but I'll be back," said an upbeat
Felger.

Cherniak, who is in support of Felger's 2006 city council bid, said
pot is getting closer to being legalized "all the time. Ten or 15
years ago it was taboo to talk about it [the legalization of pot]. Ten
or 15 years ago I wouldn't have gotten 30 seconds [to make a
presentation to a police board]."