Pubdate: Thu, 25 Sep 2003
Source: View Magazine (Hamilton, CN ON)
Copyright: 2003 View Magazine
Contact:  http://www.viewmag.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2393
Author: Matt Mernagh

PIPE DREAMS

There is so much confusion regarding the state of marijuana laws that
the police are taking advantage of stoner stupidity to bust the
legally naive who happen to smoke up in public.

A fine example is my friend Indiana Indica, who proclaimed to an
investigating officer, "No stem. No seed. What I got here is just pure
weed."

Sadly, old Indiana had more than the police-tolerable level of
marijuana on him. He was dragged away screaming, "It's legal!

It's legal!"

Marijuana possession is not legal, but it's not illegal either.
Confused? So are the politicians.

How did old Indiana get caught?

Well, he forgot the catchphrase that could have prevented him from
spending a night in the pokey, a phrase even those suffering from
short term memory loss can remember: "Thirty and under was their
blunder." That is how much grass potheads can have in their possession
without being charged.

Anything over 30 grams and it's off to jail.

Purchasing marijuana remains an offense.

In the historic ruling in Ontario that made 30 grams permissible, the
judge didn't take into account where a terminally or chronically ill
person was to get the medicinal marijuana. Many in the movement refer
to this as, "Legal Medicine, No Legal Source." Health Canada, under
the direction of MP Alan Rock was supposed to be the supplier, but HC
continues to claim in court that they're in the drug approval
business, not the drug supplying business. Regardless, trafficking in
dope is illegal.

The police are using this judgmental oversight to pop stoners carrying
more than one dime-bag of grass on them for trafficking. Stoners are
advised to keep all their grass in one baggy to avoid getting a
trafficking charge. The horror stories of cops arresting a pack of
stoners for trafficking when they've passed a joint around the circle
show police clearly stepping over the line.

Cultivating remains a crime too. There's no such thing as growing pot
for personal use. A friend of Indiana's claimed that the 285 plants
growing in his basement were for personal use when police raided his
home. Police might be tolerating 30 grams of grass, but growers have
felt their wrath, causing a severe draught in Ontario. The epidemic
has gone so far that both Toronto compassion clubs are limiting
purchases to five grams and under.

A severe draught of quality marijuana seems to be in effect for most
of Ontario. Hopefully the fall harvest will come in and alleviate the
stress of going without.

Stoners should note that these legal technicalities only apply to
Ontario. There are several provinces that still have police more than
willing to bust people for simple possession. The prince of pot, Marc
Emery (owner of Marc Emery Seeds Direct, publisher of Cannabis
Culture) went on a summer crusade across Canada to free the weed.
Victories in PEI and Nova Scotia have cops backing off simple
possession there, but British Columbia, where a judge struck down the
possession law, has cops remaining ever vigilant.

Sadly, most stoners make up a subculture that, put bluntly, is the
slowest bunch of dumb fucks around.

They spout off nonsensical shit about how weed is legal when in
reality they should be paying tribute to the dedicated individuals who
fought the law. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake