POLICE ARREST MARIJUANA ACTIVIST

Vancouver Man Lights Up Outside Police Building During Cross-Country
Tour

A self-proclaimed crusader for legalizing marijuana had to cut short
his summer tour plans yesterday after he was arrested for smoking pot
on the Main Street steps of the Codiac Regional RCMP Moncton detachment.

A second individual believed to be from the Moncton region was
arrested when he also proceeded to "toke up" in front of police.

Marc Emery and his girlfriend, Cheryl Redick, both of Vancouver, held
a protest in front of the police station yesterday afternoon, drawing
media attention and interested spectators to the cause he has been
promoting in his Summer of Legalization Tour.

Emery, wearing a dark suit and well-groomed, told his listeners that
he is crossing Canada telling law enforcement people and the general
public that simple possession and use of marijuana is no longer a
criminal offence as a result of a ruling by the Ontario Court of
Appeal three years ago this month.

The Ontario high court ruling allowing smoking for medicinal purposes
set the wheels in motion. The court put the federal government on
notice to amend the existing legislation within a year or the offence
of possession would become null and void in Ontario. No action was
taken by the federal government at that time.

Emery is convinced the ruling means that no one can be prosecuted for
possessing and smoking marijuana in Canada.

Emery was in Halifax Saturday as part of his grassroots campaign and
smoked marijuana in front of the metro police station without being
arrested, he said.

"I've only been arrested twice, in Winnipeg and Regina," for smoking
marijuana, he told the approximately 40 people in attendance.

Emery and Redick planned to take their crusade to Charlottetown today
until Emery's arrest by RCMP Cpl. Reg Smith.

Redick did not smoke any marijuana and was not arrested.

A young man standing nearby also lit up and was also arrested.
However, friends of his said he has permission from the medical
faculty to smoke marijuana to relieve chronic illness. The federal
government recently amended legislation to allow smoking of the
substance for medical reasons in certain cases and conditions.

Emery said thousands of people, many of them young adults, have been
charged with simple possession since the Ontario high court ruling
three years ago and that it was the duty of the courts across the
country to strike down those criminal convictions which can greatly
affect a person's future.

Being thrown into jail away from family and future has a far more
devastating effect than smoking pot, he said.