Pubdate: Thu, 06 Nov 2008 Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Copyright: 2008 Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/grant.htm (Krieger, Grant) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada) COURT RULES AGAINST POT CRUSADER CALGARY (CP) -- Alberta's top court has ruled against medical marijuana crusader Grant Krieger. The Albert Court of Appeal says Krieger can't "piggy back" on the charter rights of sick people to have access to medicinal pot. The three-judge panel rejected submissions by defence lawyer John Hooker that Krieger should be given a constitutional exemption to Canada's trafficking laws. Hooker argued patients to whom Krieger supplied marijuana were entitled to get it, but the government hadn't created a suitable scheme for them to obtain it. Krieger readily admitted providing the drugs through his Compassion Club to sick individuals who couldn't get doctors to approve marijuana prescriptions. Hooker said doctors are reluctant to provide patients with the necessary paperwork to get government approval for marijuana prescriptions. "It's extremely difficult for the members of the Compassion Club, the ill people ... to get their prescriptions," said Hooker. "He's trying to help extremely ill people and the government has blocked that." Hooker said like the case of Dr. Henry Morgentaler, who was acquitted of providing abortions when it was illegal to do so, Krieger was trying to right a legal wrong. A date for Krieger's appeal of his four-month sentence for trafficking hasn't yet been set. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom