MARIJUANA ADVOCATE PLEADS GUILTY TO POT POSSESSION IN SAULT COURT

Driving a car plastered with marijuana leaf logos and stickers is
bound to catch the eye of police -- particularly if you're on the way
to the annual Hempfest celebration.

That's what happened to a Montreal man nearly seven years ago, a
Sault Ste. Marie judge heard Thursday.

Marc Boris St-Maurice was leader of the Marijuana Party at the time
of the July 21, 2000 stop. Since then he has joined the Liberal Party
and plans to seek the nomination in a Montreal riding, he says.

St-Maurice attracted officers' attention at a RIDE check in Aberdeen
Township, north of Bruce Mines, where the celebration of all things
hemp takes place.

He was charged with possession of pot after a search located three
grams of the drug in the vehicle.

On Thursday, the 38-year-old man, who was not present in court,
pleaded guilty through a Sault lawyer to the charge, along with a
count of failing to attend court.

He was fined $150 for the drug offence and a further $300 for missing
his Sept. 11, 2000 court date.

"If you want to get pulled over, turn your car into a billboard for
marijuana," Ontario Court Justice Andrew Buttazzoni said.

The court heard that the car's driver was unco-operative with police
and said he didn't have to answer questions.

Inside the car, stuck to the dashboard, the officer noticed a photo
of newly elected Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day with a joint
coming from his mouth.

As well, posters, pamphlets and stickers were scattered throughout
the vehicle, federal prosecutor Marty Pawelek said.

Defence lawyer Don Orazietti described his client as a "political
activist who is seeking a nomination for a political position and
wants to clear this up."

Pawelek said the Crown sought a $1,500 fine since St-Maurice has
three previous drug-related convictions.

"Taking into account the amount of narcotics, $150 does it," Buttazzoni said.

When contacted by phone Thursday, St-Maurice told The Sault Star he
intends to seek the Liberal nomination in a Montreal riding.

After four years at the helm, he resigned his position as Marijuana
Party leader and joined the Liberals in 2005.

Four months after he was charged while on his way to speak at
Hempfest, St-Maurice told The Sault Star that he wanted to argue in
court that the car should not have been searched based on marijuana
party logos prominently displayed on its sides.

"We could have fought the charges," St-Maurice said Thursday in an
interview. "I think we had ample grounds to test the charges as an
illegal search."

But because of the distance, time and cost to fight the case in the
Sault, St-Maurice said, he decided to resolve the matter and plead guilty.

"I'd almost forgotten about it," he said, adding the matter would
come up whenever he was stopped by police.

"It was a questionable search," Orazietti said, "but he wanted to get
it over with."