Pubdate: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2003 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Author: Michelle Shephard HEMP STORE CUSTOMERS SEE HOPES GO UP IN SMOKE The Supreme Court of Canada's decision to uphold the country's marijuana laws might have dampened the spirits of shoppers at the Friendly Stranger on Queen St. W., but it didn't seem to be affecting sales. A steady flow of customers yesterday bought various smoking accessories and scoffed at the court's 6-3 decision that laws banning possession and trafficking of pot were not unconstitutional. "Pot is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco," said a 48-year-old Mississauga accountant who has smoked for 30 years. But he didn't want his name in a newspaper article. "That I won't do until the law changes." "People who smoke a joint should not go to jail," added a 30-year-old teacher visiting from Peterborough. The owner of the Friendly Stranger calls his store a "cannabis culture shop" or a "high-end hemp shop," and offers hemp clothing, cosmetics, foods and accessories from around the world. Another out-of-town customer at the store said his life changed dramatically eight years ago. He was pulled over for speeding and police decided to search his car, where they found a small amount of pot. "Now I have a criminal record," the 44-year-old teacher from British Columbia said. "I can't travel to the States for holidays and I imagine if I looked for work with another (school) board I'd be red-flagged. I'm not a criminal." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom