"Basically, what I do is, I cause trouble. That's my function. If you cause enough trouble eventually you effect change."

Meet Alan Young. Last summer the Osgoode Hall law professor launched a constitutional challenge against marijuana laws on behalf of Chris Clay, owner of a London, Ont., store called Hemp Nation. Clay, whose merchandise included marijuana plants, was charged with trafficking and cultivating a narcotic. While Young's client was found guilty, Ontario Court Justice John McCart was tolerant, handing Clay a relatively modest $750 fine and three years probation. In his judgement, McCart said, "as it is commonly used, occasionally, cannabis presents only minor.or subtle risks to the health of the individual." This spring Young will represent Lynn Harichy, a multiple sclerosis patient charged with possession after lighting a marijuana joint in front of a London police station.

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