POT CAFE TO BE STOPPED: B.C.

Police to investigate marijuana on menu

VANCOUVER - Police will stop ignoring the illegal marijuana menu-offerings
at a local cafe, B.C. Solicitor General Rich Coleman predicted yesterday.
The Da Kine Cafe, located in the city's funky Commercial Drive area, has
been the subject of blazing headlines lately for allegedly selling pot over
the counter.

"It shouldn't be happening. It's illegal. And frankly, my expectation is
that over the next number of days an investigation will allow us to deal
with this thing," Coleman said.

"I don't think we need a ho-hum attitude on anything to do with drugs.
You've got people driving in to a neighbourhood, buying marijuana, smoking
it and driving away in their cars. That's people who are now under the
influence of something. That, to me, is unacceptable."

Vancouver police spokeswoman Sarah Bloor said the department is against any
business operating in a criminal manner.

She said the cafe is known to police and they will be investigating. "We
will be taking a look at this cafe," Bloor said.

"It's something that's on our radar. But we also have to go through a
methodical process in which to collect and gather evidence that may be
sufficient for any court proceedings."

Another city shop owner is peddling equipment to help people do drugs,
selling "bubble bags" that refine hashish for $600.

The owner of The Spirit Within, Bryan Hamilton, boasted to a Vancouver
newspaper this week that his business is "liquid cash."

While not wanting to speak specifically about the Vancouver situation,
Justice Minister Irwin Cotler told Sun Media that some people are confusing
decriminalization and legalization. "I think the message on this issue of
decriminalization ... allowed people to infer from that that we're
legalizing marijuana," he said.

Marijuana can only be sold legally in Canada to those who can prove they
have a medicinal need for it.

Prime Minister Paul Martin told reporters in Kelowna yesterday that he has
no intention of legalizing pot. He said legislation to decriminalize
possession of small amounts of marijuana "should be resurrected ... but
we're not prepared to go further."