HEMP STORE CUSTOMERS SEE HOPES GO UP IN SMOKE

The Supreme Court of Canada's decision to uphold the country's marijuana
laws might have dampened the spirits of shoppers at the Friendly Stranger
on Queen St. W., but it didn't seem to be affecting sales.

A steady flow of customers yesterday bought various smoking accessories and
scoffed at the court's 6-3 decision that laws banning possession and
trafficking of pot were not unconstitutional.

"Pot is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco," said a 48-year-old
Mississauga accountant who has smoked for 30 years. But he didn't want his
name in a newspaper article. "That I won't do until the law changes."

"People who smoke a joint should not go to jail," added a 30-year-old
teacher visiting from Peterborough.

The owner of the Friendly Stranger calls his store a "cannabis culture
shop" or a "high-end hemp shop," and offers hemp clothing, cosmetics, foods
and accessories from around the world.

Another out-of-town customer at the store said his life changed
dramatically eight years ago.

He was pulled over for speeding and police decided to search his car, where
they found a small amount of pot.

"Now I have a criminal record," the 44-year-old teacher from British
Columbia said. "I can't travel to the States for holidays and I imagine if
I looked for work with another (school) board I'd be red-flagged. I'm not a
criminal."