Pubdate: Wed, 03 Aug 2005
Source: Daily Observer, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005, Osprey Media Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2615
Author: Anthony Dixon
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

LOCAL POT ACTIVIST FACES CHARGE

WILNO -- The Killaloe Rastaman, AKA Rick Reimer, believes a lack of police 
understanding led to his arrest early Sunday morning at the Atlantic Hemp 
Fest in Nova Scotia.

The marijuana activist was charged with being intoxicated in a public place 
and held overnight in a holding cell in Kingston, Nova Scotia, a situation 
Mr. Reimer believes could have been avoided if police better understood the 
rights of those granted the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

"This just makes it so obvious that the police have taken an ostrich 
attitude about medical marijuana (and stuck their heads in the sand)," Mr. 
Reimer said from his home outside of Wilno on Tuesday. "Maybe they don't 
like it, but they are going to have to accept that it's a part of society 
and therefore taxpayers and the government have taken a different attitude 
but it's like the police have said, 'we're not going to learn about this.'"

Mr. Reimer, a lawyer, intends to plead not guilty to the charge.

The second annual Atlantic Hemp Fest was sponsored by Maritimes United for 
Medical Marijuana and held in Lawrencetown, Annapolis County.

A guest speaker at the event, Mr. Reimer said Hemp Fest seeks to raise 
public awareness about the medical use of marijuana. He conceded that such 
events also attract recreational pot smokers.

Mr. Reimer has a medical exemption to use marijuana to ease symptoms of his 
multiple sclerosis.
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MAP posted-by: Beth