Friday, February 20, 2009

Press Conference - Vancouver

INVITATION TO ATTEND

Human rights commission has ruled medical marijuana users benefit from constitutional protection from discrimination.

Marc-Boris St-Maurice, executive director of NORML Canada, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws will be hosting a press conference in Vancouver this Saturday Feb 21st, at 1pm at the Delta Hotel's Spencer Lounge (lobby level), 550 W. Hastings St. to announce and comment on the recent Quebec human rights commission decision that medical marijuana users are protected against discrimination.

On May 14th, 2008, the Montreal compassion center contacted the Quebec human rights commission asking "if citizens using medical marijuana, with or without Health Canada permits, are entitled to protection under chapter 1.1, sec. 10 of the quebec charter of rights and freedoms".

On Jauary 30th, commission responded in a thorough 28 page written decision that they did indeed benefit from such protection.

The implications of this decision on medical marijuana users, in Quebec as well as across Canada, are such that access to medical marijuana is on it's way to becoming a constitutional right.

M. St-Maurice will also be introducing some of the participants scheduled to speak at the "Resolving Marijuana Prohibition" conference being held on Sunday, Feb. 22nd at Simon Fraser's Center for Dialogue, 580 W. Hastings St.

Speakers at the conference include but are not limited to:

Donald MacPherson - City of Vancouer's Drug Policy Coordinator
Dr. Bruce Alexander - Professor of Psychology at SFU
Jerry Paradis - Judge, Court of BC (retired)

For more information visit www.norml.ca

Sunday, January 25, 2009

In the beginning...


The first installment of the Resolving Marijuana Prohibition tour will take place in Ottawa tomorrow.

The event will feature videos of the Montreal and Quebec City compassion clubs, as well as a panel discussion with local experts on different aspects of the Marijuana issue. Yavar Hameed, lawyer and Carleton University prof, Lynne Belle-Isle, from the Canadian Aids Society, and Line Beuchesne from the University of Ottawa will answer questions relating to the four pillars of the Resolution's argument: Economics, Policy, Medicine, and Social Justice.

This event takes place at the Ottawa Public Library (main branch at Laurier and Metcalfe) at 6pm, tomorrow, Monday, January 26th.
Join Marc-Boris St-Maurice for rare behind-the-scenes footage of the Montreal and Quebec cannabis dispensaries and see detailed footage and commentary by experts of each stage of cultivation.

Students, faculty, media, politicians, activists and interested public across Canada are joining Marc-Boris St-Maurice, Executive Director of NORML Canada (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) as he embarks on a national fact-finding tour to introduce "The National Resolution for the Legalization of Marijuana".