ON: Pot Activists To Rally At Old City Hall

[Jim Finnel]

Supporters of the legalization of marijuana will gather on the steps of Old City Hall this morning in support of the Kindred Cafe, a pot-friendly coffee house raided last week for allegedly selling laced milkshakes, hot chocolates and baked goods.

More than 100 people are expected to attend the morning rally, beginning at 8 a. m., many acting as "human billboards" with signs promoting the regulation of cannabis and demanding pot-friendly stores such as the Kindred Cafe be left alone.

"It's all supporters and friends just coming out to show moral support, said organizer Matt Mernagh.

"It's a very busy intersection at 8 a. m., right. Being human billboards with our flags, our signs, our megaphones. It just shows people that we're not going to let this go away."

The intendedly vocal gathering comes after police raided the cafe on Thursday, charging two employees with trafficking of marijuana for allegedly selling undercover officers marijuana-laced treats.

Following the raid, police removed furniture, machinery and smoking paraphernalia and an amount of marijuana.

Owner Dominic Cramer faces trafficking-related charges and is expected to turn himself into police later today. Mr. Cramer owns several other cannabis culture shops in a Yonge and Bloor streets area hot spot known as Yongesterdam.

The self-described entrepreneur, activist and philanthropist, who grew up in Scarborough, has made a name for himself as a pot activist appealing for the legalization of marijuana.

Chad Cooke, a spokesman for the cafe, said the store provides a place for people with medical permits to smoke marijuana, as well as social users, to gather, but never sold anyone drugs.

He said the rally is not associated with Mr. Cramer or the cafe and he has asked the event organizers to keep it peaceful.

"The time has passed for the in-your-face 'We smoke pot and get high, get used to it' mentality. That doesn't win over public support and that's not what we are about. We are about approaching it from a point of view that it is something normal and common sense prevails, and public opinion prevails, that this is really a non-issue and we can move forward from this," he said.

Mr. Cooke said Mr. Cramer would be turning himself in to officers at 52 Division later in the day and be detained overnight for a bail hearing tomorrow morning. At the time of publication, he had not been formally charged.

In 2004, a Vancouver SWAT team raided Da Kine Cafe and arrested owner Carol Gwilt for openly selling pot to customers. Seven cafe staff members were charged with drug trafficking and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

In 2006, Gwilt pleaded guilty to trafficking charges and possession of the proceeds of crime. Investigators had seized nine kilograms of marijuana, some hashish, 300 cannabis-laced cookies and about $60,000 in U.S. and Canadian currency.


News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2008 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: letters@nationalpost.com
Website: National Post | Canadian News, Financial News and Opinion
Details: MapInc
Author: Matthew Coutts

 

[Jim Finnel]

Pot café owner to turn himself in

Dominic Cramer, owner of the coffee shop raided by Toronto police last week on suspicion of marijuana trafficking, will turn himself in at 52 Division this evening, says his lawyer, Alan Young.

Cramer is expected to attend a bail hearing at Old City Hall tomorrow morning.

The Kindred Café, frequented by medical marijuana users and other pot-smoking customers, has never been raided before and Cramer has no criminal record. Young said he did not know what charges would be laid.

"To the best of my knowledge it's a case about edibles that allegedly involved marijuana," Young said.

Cramer, in his mid-30s, was not present last Thursday evening when more than a dozen officers descended on the three-storey café located on Breadalbane St. near Yonge and Wellesley Sts. They issued a warrant for his arrest.

Police seized most of the cafe's furniture and equipment and took two people into custody.

Customers who are not legally cleared to smoke marijuana for medical purposes may use the premises to smoke dope, but they bring their own supply. "Anyone found trafficking would be immediately ejected," says Chad Cooke, a spokesperson for the café and a user with a federal exemption for medical use.

The Kindred Café occupies a Yonge/Wellesley neighbourhood known as Yongesterdam (in reference to Amsterdam, where marijuana use is legal) for its cluster of businesses catering to cannabis users.

Kindred's customers can purchase a day pass or longer-term membership to rent time in private rooms or they can use a rooftop patio where smoking is allowed.

This morning at 8 a.m. an hour-long rally in front of Old City Hall at Bay and Queen Sts. was expected to draw a good-sized crowd in support of Cramer and the rights of medically exempt cannabis users.

"It's going to be very peaceful," Cooke said. "There is no antagonism toward the police."

The police cited community complaints as the reason for the raid.

The café has been closed since the raid but is expected to reopen this week. Cramer has been operating Kindred Café for three years.


News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Toronto Star
Author: Susan Walker
Copyright: 2008 Toronto Star
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Website: TheStar.com | GTA | Pot caf owner to turn himself in