Marc Boris St-Maurice photo: Charlie de Montréal

One potentially explosive case is that of Marc Boris St-Maurice of the federal Marijuana Party and a high-ranking member of Quebec's Bloc Pot. He was busted at the Bloc's Café Maryjane last March, his eighth such arrest, but this one differed in a déjà vu kind of way.

Without exception, Café patrons were required to take out membership in the Bloc. This included undercover cops who surreptitiously infiltrated the café to snare pot smokers in flagrante delicto.

We've been here before. Sort of.

In the late 1970s, the MacDonald Commission of Inquiry found that the RCMP had infiltrated political parties in the search for "terrorists." In so doing, they violated one of the tenets of democracy, which holds that citizens must be free to associate without having their every move and thought under police surveillance.

Boris is taking that argument to court and he's bringing some heavy artillery in the person of Julius Grey, the pit bull of Canada's constitutional lawyers.

"At first he [Mr. Grey] was lukewarm to the whole marijuana issue," said Boris, "but his eyebrows raised when I mentioned that [Café Maryjane] was the office of the Bloc Pot, and that the police joined the party to gain access to the office to investigate."

"His exact words," recalls Boris, "were 'very interesting.' Then his eyes lit up."

At an appearance last week that Mr. Grey was unable to attend, he provided a letter of intent to represent the case, which Boris dutifully presented to the court and three surprised Crown prosecutors.

"After much whispering and mumbo-jumbo, we set December 3 as the next date to discuss motions, deadlines and other nuts and bolts," said Boris. Stay tuned and keep those roach clips at the ready.

 
 

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Legalizing Marijuana Would Be Hollow Victory     50 years ago cigarette smoking was commonplace with the only restrictions being places such as explosives manufacturing plants. It was even allowed in hospitals especially when many doctors used the habit to calm their nerves. In the intervening decades smoking has been banished from workplaces, schools, churches, stores, meeting halls and most obviously health care establishments. Soon wafts of smoke will disappear from bars and restaurants. Even outdoors near the entrances to buildings such as Place Ville Marie are off limits to smokers. Marijuana smokers will face similar restrictions. The only safe place would be alone on a rowboat in the middle of the lake. Just like legal cigarettes minors under 18 could not buy marijuana joints or else they or the shopowner could face possible arrest. The government could set minimum and maximum levels for the active ingredients in marijuana cigarettes. The really good stuff would be off limits to the average consumer. Car drivers could be tested for levels of THC intoxicants and end up with fines or jail time if a certain limit was exceeded. Even employers could do spot drug tests on potential hires and only consider the squeaky clean candidates with no traces of drugs in their blood. Once marijuana is made legal, it will face an uphill battle.
Stephen Talko	{12 votes}	November 10th, 2004
Throw the evidence but get a life !     I don't condone such tactics as those used the police to gather information about members of the Bloc Pot. By joining the party and participating to their activities that mostly revolve about growing, selling and smoking pot, the policemen are participating to criminal activities -if not encouraging others to do them. As far as I know, it is still illegal in Canada to grow, sell and smoke pot ! In fact, what the police is doing is almost on the verge of being entrapment. Just for this, the evidence shouldn't be admitted in Court. But for those pot-heads who think that legalizing marijuana is their life's cause.. Come on! You look like Chech and Chong's characters in "Up In Smoke" : it is as if your whole life revolved around pot-smoking. Please do yourself some good. Get a life !
Sylvain Provost	{5 votes}	November 10th, 2004
Beware of those dangerous pot smokers     We all know that marijuana leads to every type of crime. So who knows? Maybe the whole parliament smoked before illegally used national funds for the sponsorship scandal. Or maybe Martin smoked when he thought of getting rid of the health system. Maybe our police is just protecting us for more dangerous crimes that will take place if some nasty politicians start toking.
Marc Charette	{9 votes}	November 9th, 2004
Yes....but,     The RCMP may have used tough methods to infiltrate the cafe. However, that is child's play compared to what the DEA does in the USA. They will use any/all methods necessary to catch drug offenders. It is not uncommon for an agent to infiltrate and lay dormant for YEARS while collecting evidence to put the law breaking parties into prison. You guys up North do not have it all that bad. Albany, NY USA P.S. I am banned from your country due to a DUI in New York. What a joke! They enforce that, but like Pedro said.... aren't there more important things to enforce?
Al Anderson	{22 votes}	November 6th, 2004
The thin blue line goes up in smoke again     Wait, Montreal cops did something wrong because they thought they were serving a greater good? *gasp!* Say it isn't so! Geez, I know there are worse police forces in the world but the thing is that I don't live there, I live here and this has just gotten ridiculous. If I had the time and energy to list the numerous sins of the police in this city I'd quickly run out of room. Let's just say that this particular action is just the sprinkle on the sundae of wayward and ill-considered behavior that they've participated in since God knows when. Yes, because pot bars are the real source of trouble and anguish in this city. Yeah, right. Personally, I think that pot law reform is a pipe dream but it's the cops who were high here if they thought they were doing anything other than pleading the case for their own increasing irrelevance and stupidity.
Pedro Eggers	{26 votes}	November 4th, 2004
The Right to a Fair Trial     It may seems far fetched. But such case are essential to our justice system. It's still illegal to smoke marijuana in Canada. But it's legal to think freely. Some of that thinking may involve peoples believing in the legalisation or decriminalisation of small possession. Of course, some would say that to forbid the police to make its job is a nonsense. But there are ways to do it without getting involve into the political structure. Was it smart from Marc Boris St.Maurice to held reunion at the "Café Maryjane"? No way in hell. At the least they should have found somewhere else for the meeting. Okay, I quite understand costs issue. But then again it's not as if the Bloc Pot is a great idea. I totally understand te Federal party. But I can not agree with the fact that a provincial party trying to get to the National Assembly to discuss a Federal issue is something smart to do. Well, we could also recall ourselves that some Federal political party discuss Health issue when it's a provincial jurisdiction. How could the general public understand after that? I am asking you really!
Nicolas Gauthier	{26 votes}	November 4th, 2004
The Worst Police Force In Canada     I believe that we got the worst police force in Montreal than any other city in Canada and possibly in the USA. How dumb are the police to bust people at a café where you know that they smoked marijuana. The police posed as patrons in the café so that they can arrest people. The police in Montreal have nothing better to do than to bust innocent people who are not hurting society at all. Personally, I believe that talented lawyer Mr. Grey will get Mr. Boris off this charge and maybe file a lawsuit against the Montreal police department. This story proves that the Montreal Police are that dumb.
Carmela Sicurella	{16 votes}	November 6th, 2004
THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK     How sneaky and unfair to arrest someone in this way! Don't these cops have anything better to do like go after some real criminals? Julius Grey has an excellent reputation as a lawyer and I know if anyone can help clear Mr. St- Maurice, it's Mr. Grey. Good luck with the case- I really hope you win. We don't need BIG BROTHER watching our every move!
Heath Abram	{14 votes}	November 4th, 2004
Bullshit excuse     Ok.... let me get this straight. As long as you charge for a membership, it is impossible for police to legally infilitrate an operation? So drug dealers, child nudie smugglers, etc... could all form 'clubs', charge dues, and the police can't investigate? And this law is meant to protect us?
Eric Wilson	{17 votes}	November 4th, 2004

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