Sonny420

PRESS RELEASE:

Toronto Medical Marijuana Rally/Protest Press Release: Sept 30


Contacts: Dom Cramer (416)721-6746 and Alan Young (416)964-1999
More Information: http://www.torontocompassioncentre.org and
http://www.torontohemp.com


On Monday, September 30, 2002 at 9:00 a.m. a protest will be held on
the grounds of the Old City Hall Courthouse (at the intersection of
Queen Street West and Bay Street). A large group of people will
gather at the Courthouse to rally in support of the Toronto
Compassion Centre and in support of the recent Senate Committee
recommendation to legalize marijuana.


The Toronto Compassion Centre was raided by Toronto Police on August
13, and four caregivers are now facing criminal charges. The Toronto
Compassion Centre provided medicinal marijuana to over 1200 seriously
ill Canadians for many years, with the knowledge of law enforcement
officials and with widespread public support. The raid came as a
surprise especially in light of Health Canada's announcement that it
has no intention of distributing its own supply of medicinal
marijuana to authorized Canadians.

Our government agrees that thousands of Canadians would benefit
greatly from this natural medicine. Sadly, they provide an absurdly
difficult process for seriously ill people to attempt to obtain
exemption from our harmful marijuana laws, and provide for no
practical legal source of supply. They've produced hundreds of
kilograms of medical marijuana - which is, we must remember, simply
the dried flowers of an amazingly beneficial and versatile plant
and "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to
man" - and now refuse to distribute it even to those who are in
desperate need.

Due to the recent raid, subsequent charges and ridiculous bail
conditions, many seriously ill Canadians are now left without a safe
and secure supply of much-needed medicinal marijuana. On Monday,
September 30, 2002 at 9:00 a.m. they will gather outside the
courthouse to protest the ill-advised decision to close down the
Toronto Compassion Centre.

On that date, the four caregivers will be setting a date for trial at
Old City Hall Courthouse. Once the date has been set (between 9:30-
10:30 a.m.), a convoy of seriously ill Canadians in wheelchairs will
make their way to the offices of the Department of Justice (130 King
Street West at York Street) to deliver a letter requesting that all
charges be dropped.

We believe it is important that all Canadians be made aware of the
injustice being perpetrated against those who suffer from AIDS,
cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis etc. Accordingly, we are asking
members of the press to attend our rally so they can help us spread
the message. Copies of the letter requesting a withdrawal of all
charges will be made available to the media at the rally, and this
letter will outline the reasons why we believe it is manifestly
unfair to criminalize caregivers for performing a service which the
government has failed to provide.

We hope to see you at the rally and we do appreciate your efforts to
date in helping us expose the cruel injustice being done to seriously
ill Canadians trying to alleviate their suffering.

If further information is required, please contact Alan Young or Dom
Cramer as indicated above.

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All the best,
Dom

Check out the new TCC/THC/Canadian Cannabis Community discussion
forum, and the latest info, at http://www.torontohemp.com

Dominic S. Cramer,
mailto:thcdom@rogers.com and/or
dom@torontohemp.com and/or
postmaster@torontocompassioncentre.org and/or
postmaster@sacredseed.com and/or
postmaster@midoco.ca

Toronto Hemp Company (T.H.C.)
Hemp and related products, herb smoking tools, and other interesting
things.
http://www.torontohemp.com

Toronto Compassion Centre (T.C.C.)
Toronto's primary not-for-profit medical marijuana resource facility.
http://www.torontocompassioncentre.org

Sacred Seed
Exotic seed and houseplant shop.
http://www.sacredseed.com

Midoco
Art and office supplies.
http://www.midoco.ca

__________________
peace:-)==U```
sonny

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.- Rudyard Kipling