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Up In Smoke Cafe Owner Denied Bail
Pubdate: Sat, 05 Aug 2006
Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The Hamilton Spectator
Contact: http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/181
Author: Barbara Brown
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Chris+Goodwin
UP IN SMOKE CAFE OWNER DENIED BAIL
Pot crusader Chris Goodwin was denied bail yesterday after his arrest
10 days ago for allegedly flouting the terms of previous releases
from jail on charges of possessing small amounts of marijuana.
Goodwin, who will celebrate his 27th birthday Monday at the
Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre, is the owner of the Up In Smoke
Cafe.
The King Street East cafe, which is currently low on stock following
a police raid July 26, had been selling cannabis seeds, marijuana
cookies, pot-advocacy magazines, pipes and bongs. It also held itself
out as the only compassionate club in the city where medically
exempt users of marijuana could light up a joint and smoke
hassle-free.
Following two days of evidence and arguments from federal drug
prosecutor Jeffrey Levy and defence lawyer Peter Boushy, justice of
the peace Lillian Ross decided to cancel all of Goodwin's previous
releases on bail. She then denied his latest bail
application.
"My heart goes out to Chris," said Boushy. "He's a highly intelligent
guy with a great deal of potential. Perhaps he should run for the
NDP, which I understand has a platform to decriminalize marijuana."
Goodwin was arrested July 26 after stepping off a flight from
Vancouver at Hamilton's international airport. Police then raided the
Up In Smoke Cafe and seized drug paraphernalia and edible marijuana
products.
Police have visited the pot cafe hundreds of times since it opened in
August 2004. There have also been several raids where staff and
patrons were arrested for pot possession.
About a dozen of Goodwin's supporters attended his bail hearing this
week, including Alison Myrden, of Burlington, a medically exempt user
of marijuana, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 13.
Myrden, a former corrections officer, is licensed by Health Canada to
possess and cultivate small quantities of pot for the management of
her pain.
"I'm here to support Chris. I want to see him get out of jail," she
said.
"I'm just afraid that they're not going to give him another
chance."
Goodwin was remanded to Aug. 22. He has a tentative trial date of
Aug. 29.
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