POT 'WARRIOR' OFF TO JAIL

A marijuana activist who said he grew pot for medicinal purposes was sent
to jail yesterday after the judge decided the Gatineau man would continue
breaking the law otherwise.

Raymond Turmel, 49, was convicted last December of cultivation and of
possession for the purposes of trafficking.

He was sentenced to 18 months in jail after Justice Jean-Pierre Plouffe
rejected Turmel's request to serve the time in the community.

"This is a war to legalize marijuana and I'm one of the warriors," Turmel
told reporters during his final moments as a free man.

Police busted Turmel's rented Hull apartment in July 2000, uncovering a
large, sophisticated hydroponic operation and about 600 young and maturing
plants.

Cellphone, Pager

Turmel claimed the pot was being given to help chronically sick friends and
family cope with their pain.

But the court determined some of the weed was being sold for profit. A
cellphone, pager and electronic scale were found inside the apartment. At
maturation, the plants would have produced nearly 16 kg of pot.

Crown prosecutor Anouk Desaulniers said there's nothing wrong with fighting
for a cause, but that Turmel was undermining society's trust through his
actions.

"When somebody like Mr. Turmel takes it into his own hands to distribute to
whomever he wants to, whenever and how much he decides, then he is
undermining this very system," she said.

Turmel's record also included a 1992 conviction for possession of cocaine
for the purpose of trafficking.