ONE-CLICK MARIJUANA SHOPPING FOR SICK CANADIANS

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian activists for the medicinal use of
marijuana celebrated a court victory on Thursday by launching an
Internet site offering home delivery of cannabis for seriously ill
people.

Saying it would even offer tax deductions for orders, the Marijuana
Party Foundation took the unprecedented step after Quebec Superior
Court Judge Gilles Cadieux stopped the drug-trafficking trial of two
volunteers from Compassion Club of Montreal, a group that provides
marijuana for medicinal purposes.

In his long-awaited decision, Judge Cadieux agreed that the pair,
Marc-Boris St-Maurice, 33, and Alexandre Neron, 22, had planned to
sell marijuana when they were arrested almost three years ago. But the
judge noted that it was unconstitutional to deny patients access to
the drug.

Judge Cadieux said he did not have the authority to rule on the
constitutionality of Canada's marijuana laws. Prosecutors did not
indicate whether they would appeal his decision.

Earlier this month, a parliamentary committee urged the Canadian
government to relax its laws on possession of marijuana. The committee
on the nonmedical use of drugs said marijuana should be
decriminalized, but not legalized, an idea US drug control officials
quickly condemned.

Home Delivery of Marijuana

Elated by Judge Cadieux's decision, St-Maurice hailed it as both a
moral and legal victory. The Marijuana Party Foundation, operated by
the federally chartered Marijuana Party, reacted to the ruling by
immediately launching a Web Site offering to dispense therapeutic cannabis.

The Web Site, www.marijuanahomedelivery.ca, offers two formats of
"highest quality therapeutic cannabis" with a THC content of 8% or
more. A two-gram package sells for C$30 ($19) while Internet surfers
can order a 10 gram shipment for C$120.

"You are not contributing to organized crime. All revenues raised from
our service go to advance efforts to end cannabis prohibition," the
organization promises on its Web Site.

Those wishing to order marijuana via the Web Site must be Canadian
citizens residing in Canada, 18 years of age, and provide a doctor's
diagnosis of an illness known to be treatable or alleviated through
the use of cannabis.

"It's an online Compassion Club to serve all Canadians who would have
a need for medical marijuana," St-Maurice told Reuters.

Medicinal Cannabis Legal in Canada

Canadian law allows access to medical marijuana for a certain
patients. Canada's Office of Cannabis Medical Access oversees
regulations brought down in July 2001 that allow marijuana use by
people suffering from grave and debilitating illnesses.

Applicants include those who have a terminal illness or serious
medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord disease,
cancer or AIDS/HIV infection.

The Canadian government is working on the cultivation of a safe and
standardized supply of marijuana for use as a medical treatment.

But that supply is not yet available and those seeking medicinal
marijuana must turn elsewhere for access to the drug. Often, they must
apply for a license to grow the marijuana themselves or seek it on the
street.

St-Maurice said the Marijuana Party Foundation does not have permits
from the Canadian government allowing the group to sell cannabis
online. Its Internet initiative also does not have the consent of the
Canadian Medical Association or other professional groups.

But St-Maurice said those hurdles will not prevent the Web Site from
taking orders and shipping marijuana.

"In January, we'll be starting to offer tax deductions for the
marijuana we sell online," he said.